A satellite image shows Tropical Storm Milton intensifying and on track to become a hurricane before its expected landfall in Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico October 6, 2024. CIRA/NOAA/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
Jamaica is bracing for catastrophic destruction as Hurricane Melissa, the world’s most powerful storm this year, edges closer to the island after claiming at least three lives.
The US-based National Hurricane Center upgraded Melissa to a Category 5 hurricane early Monday, warning that it could become the strongest storm ever recorded in Jamaica’s history. With winds reaching up to 175 mph (290 km/h) and rainfall projected to exceed 40 inches (101 cm), officials fear unprecedented flooding, mudslides, and coastal devastation.
The storm has already left a deadly trail across the Caribbean, killing at least four people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic before barreling toward Jamaica’s northeast coast.
For days, Jamaicans have anxiously tracked satellite images showing Melissa’s massive spiral tightening and strengthening. As the outer bands began lashing the island on Monday, sustained winds of 270 km/h (168 mph) ripped through coastal communities.
Authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders in several high-risk areas, including the historic town of Port Royal. Thousands have fled to government shelters, though some residents remain reluctant to abandon their homes despite urgent pleas from officials.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s government has allocated an emergency response fund of £25 million ($33 million), while the United Nations World Food Programme and other aid agencies are coordinating relief efforts.
Airports have been shut down, flights cancelled, and emergency crews put on high alert. Officials fear that remote communities could soon be completely cut off as rivers overflow and roads become impassable.
As Jamaicans brace for the storm’s peak impact, authorities are urging citizens to remain indoors and take all safety precautions. “This is an unprecedented threat,” one government spokesperson said. “Our priority is to save lives.”
With heavy rains now battering the island, the hope is that early warnings and mass evacuations will be enough to prevent further tragedy.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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