Hurricane Melissa made landfall in south-western Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category Five storm, battering the island with violent winds of up to 185 mph (295 km/h) and torrential rainfall, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The NHC described Melissa as “extremely dangerous and life-threatening,” warning residents to remain in shelter even as the eye of the storm passes.
“Do not go outside as the eye passes. Winds will quickly and rapidly increase again on the other side,” the agency cautioned in its latest advisory.
The hurricane struck near the community of New Hope in Jamaica’s south-west, uprooting trees, tearing off rooftops, and plunging large parts of the island into darkness.
Energy Minister Daryl Vaz confirmed that about one-third of Jamaica was experiencing power outages as high winds toppled transmission lines.
“Crews are on standby, but conditions remain too dangerous for repair work,” Vaz said.
On the ground, residents described scenes of devastation. One man told the BBC that “the winds are so strong you would not be able to stand up,” while a woman said, “Water is coming through my roof, I am not OK.”
In an urgent national broadcast, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie pleaded with Jamaicans to stay indoors and heed safety advice.
“This is not the time to be brave,” McKenzie warned. “Don’t bet against Melissa, it is a bet we can’t win.”
Meteorologists fear the situation could deteriorate further overnight, with forecasters warning that conditions are expected to get “significantly worse” as the storm moves across the island.
Communication remained severely disrupted in several parishes, and emergency teams were relying on satellite phones to coordinate disaster response, according to local reporters.
