Hurricane Melissa was packing maximum sustained winds of a staggering 175 miles per hour (280 km/h), well exceeding the 157 mph threshold for a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
Jamaicans are continuing to make critical preparations for the imminent onslaught of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa on Monday (October 27), even as fierce rain and wind began to lash the island. The slow-moving system has rapidly intensified into what meteorologists warn could be the strongest storm in Jamaica’s recorded history, prompting urgent calls for mass evacuations and the closure of all major infrastructure.
Catastrophic Winds and Unprecedented Rainfall
Hurricane Melissa was packing maximum sustained winds of a staggering 175 miles per hour (280 km/h), well exceeding the 157 mph threshold for a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, as its eye crawled less than 150 miles southwest of Kingston late Monday.
The storm’s exceptionally slow movement, clocked at just 3 mph, is set to prolong its devastating impact, creating the conditions for what officials fear will be a catastrophic disaster.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of the potential for “total structural failure” in parts of the island due to the ferocious winds.
However, the most life-threatening danger is forecast to come from an unprecedented amount of rainfall and a destructive storm surge.
Forecasts indicate that parts of Jamaica could receive a staggering 15 to 30 inches of rain, with isolated totals of up to 40 inches (one metre), triggering catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides, particularly in the island’s mountainous terrain. Furthermore, a life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 metres) is expected along the vulnerable south coast.
Melissa’s rapid intensification over the warm Caribbean waters—going from a tropical storm to a Category 5 in just over 48 hours—has been linked by climate scientists to the human-caused climate crisis, a factor that has supercharged the storm’s destructive potential.
Mass Evacuations and Government Response
In anticipation of Melissa’s landfall—expected early Tuesday morning—the Jamaican government has put a massive disaster response plan into action.
Authorities have ordered mandatory evacuations for residents in vulnerable, low-lying, and flood-prone communities, including parts of the capital, Kingston, and the exposed fishing village of Port Royal.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness addressed the nation, urging citizens to take the threat with the utmost seriousness.
“I urge Jamaicans to take all measures to protect yourselves,” he stated, as the government worked frantically to complete final preparations.
On Monday, all international airports and bus services were closed, and over 800 emergency shelters were activated across the island.
The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) called out the Jamaica National Reserve to assist with relief operations, logistics, and search and rescue efforts once the storm passes.
The National Works Agency (NWA) simultaneously ramped up flood mitigation works, including the emergency desilting of major drains like the Sandy Gully in Kingston, in a desperate bid to manage the expected deluge.
Despite the dire warnings and official pleas, some residents in coastal areas have reportedly been reluctant to leave their homes, choosing instead to secure their properties and ride out the storm, a decision officials warn is gravely dangerous.
Headline Points
• Hurricane Melissa intensified into a Category 5 storm on Monday, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h), making it one of the strongest storms ever recorded to approach Jamaica.
• The storm’s slow movement is forecast to cause catastrophic flash flooding and landslides from up to 40 inches of rain in some areas, along with a 13-foot storm surge on the south coast.
• The Jamaican government issued mandatory evacuation orders for vulnerable, low-lying communities, with over 800 emergency shelters activated across the island.
• All major infrastructure, including international airports and public bus services, have been shut down in advance of the expected early Tuesday morning landfall.
• The Jamaica Defence Force has mobilised its National Reserve to assist with emergency relief and post-storm recovery efforts.
• Climate scientists have linked the storm’s rapid intensification to rising ocean temperatures driven by climate change, warning of a severe and unprecedented human and economic toll.
