A monster Category 5 hurricane, Melissa, slammed into Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon with sustained winds reaching 185 miles per hour. Forecasters predicted rainfall accumulating in feet and a storm surge capable of swamping properties across the island.
“Don’t bet against Melissa. It is a bet we can’t win,” warned Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica’s Minister of Local Government, during a press briefing just before the storm made landfall. Although nearly six thousand shelters were opened, Mr. McKenzie expressed concern that few residents were taking advantage of them.
Hurricane Melissa intensified into one of the strongest storms on record in the Atlantic basin, surpassing even Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005. The National Weather Service issued an urgent alert late Tuesday morning: “This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation! Take cover now!”
According to the National Hurricane Center, catastrophic winds could lead to total structural failure, especially in higher elevation areas where wind speeds were expected to be up to 30 percent stronger than at lower elevations.
Damage reports emerged as the storm battered the island. The Black River Hospital in the parish of St. Elizabeth lost part of its roof; fortunately, the affected area was not where patients are housed. Numerous roads and bridges in St. Elizabeth became impassable, and roofs were torn off houses throughout the parish. However, the full extent of the damage was not expected to be known until after the storm passed, particularly in remote areas.
Power outages affected nearly 250,000 people even before landfall, with numbers expected to rise. In Kingston, most power was already down, according to a BBC reporter riding out the storm in the city. Jamaica’s Energy Minister, Daryl Vaz, confirmed that substations, transmission lines, and distribution lines across the country were out of service. A Jamaica Public Service building in St. Elizabeth lost its roof as well, but power officials assured that restoration efforts would begin as soon as it is safe for crews to operate.
At the time of the storm, approximately 25,000 tourists remained on the island, most of whom were staying at resort properties designed to better withstand such severe weather.
Forecasters predicted 15 to 30 inches of rainfall across parts of Jamaica, with some areas potentially receiving up to 40 inches. This raised the risk of catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides. Additionally, a life-threatening storm surge of 9 to 13 feet, accompanied by large and destructive waves, was anticipated. On Jamaica’s northwest coast near Montego Bay, storm surges of 2 to 4 feet were possible.
After hitting Jamaica, Melissa accelerated eastward but was still expected to reach southeastern Cuba as an extremely dangerous major hurricane before moving across the southeastern Bahamas. Tropical storm conditions were forecast to begin in eastern Cuba Tuesday afternoon, escalating to hurricane conditions overnight into Wednesday morning.
Cuban authorities expected 10 to 20 inches of rain and a significant storm surge along the southeast coast, with peak storm surge heights of 8 to 12 feet above normal tide levels.
Most U.S. military personnel were ordered to evacuate the Guantanamo Bay base ahead of the storm, though a shelter-in-place order was issued for remaining personnel.
Tropical storm conditions were also expected in Haiti later Tuesday and Wednesday. Afterward, the storm was projected to move northward into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, with little impact on the U.S. coastline.
No new deaths were reported following the storm’s passage, in addition to three fatalities reported during preparations.
In response to the disaster, the Jamaican government announced cash assistance for some victims. They also established a rebuilding and relief portal to combat fraudulent fundraisers. Senator Dana Morris Dixon cautioned the public: “We have already been made aware of some nefarious individuals trying to collect money on behalf of Jamaica. We remind you that this will be the official site. If it doesn’t have .gov.jm, it’s not legitimate; it’s not an official government of Jamaica site.”
https://www.nysun.com/article/catastrophic-hurricane-melissa-hits-jamaica-with-185-mph-winds
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