Jamaica and eastern Cuba are on high alert as Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, approaches with winds nearing 280 kilometres per hour, threatening to unleash catastrophic destruction. The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) has described Melissa as potentially the strongest storm ever recorded in the region, with United Nations officials warning that Jamaica could face its worst hurricane this century.
As the hurricane’s outer bands began battering coastal areas early Tuesday, powerful gusts, torrential rains, and massive waves pounded the shoreline. In anticipation of landfall, the Jamaican government has declared a nationwide disaster emergency, shutting airports, halting public transport, and ordering mandatory evacuations in high-risk parishes such as Kingston, St Elizabeth, and Clarendon. Over 800 emergency shelters have been activated, while rescue teams and medical units are standing by to respond once the worst of the storm passes.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness addressed the nation in a televised statement, calling the storm an “event of historic magnitude” and urging citizens to take “no chances whatsoever.” He emphasised that “lives are far more important than property” and warned against ignoring evacuation orders. His remarks were echoed by Minister Desmond McKenzie, who urged Jamaicans not to underestimate the storm: “Don’t bet against Melissa; it is a bet we can’t win.”
The NHC’s latest advisory reports that hurricane-force winds are expected to hit Jamaica within hours, with little change in intensity before landfall. Forecasters predict that Melissa will weaken slightly to Category 4 as it crosses the island, but still bring devastating damage to infrastructure, vegetation, and coastal settlements. Storm surges of up to four metres — roughly the height of a two-storey building — are expected in several coastal bays, posing a grave threat of inundation.
Rainfall is projected to reach 12 to 16 inches, with localised totals even higher, triggering flash floods, river overflows, and landslides in mountainous regions. The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) estimates that as many as 1.5 million Jamaicans could be directly affected by the storm’s impacts. Relief supplies, including food, tarpaulins, blankets, and hygiene kits, have been strategically pre-positioned at Red Cross distribution points, and humanitarian flights could begin once conditions stabilise later in the week.
Despite widespread preparations, early casualties have already been reported. Health Minister Chris Tufton confirmed that three people died while preparing for the storm — two in tree-cutting accidents and one from electrocution — with at least 15 others injured. Power outages have spread rapidly across the island, affecting nearly 240,000 households, while telecommunications disruptions have been reported in several districts. Hospitals remain operational, though many are now relying on backup generators due to grid instability.
Beyond Jamaica, Melissa’s path has already caused devastation elsewhere in the Caribbean. Four deaths were reported in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where days of torrential rain led to widespread flooding and landslides. The storm’s slow movement over warm Caribbean waters has expanded its size and prolonged its destructive reach, ensuring that the impacts will be both intense and long-lasting.
The Cuban government has activated its military and civil defence units for evacuation, rescue, and post-storm recovery operations in eastern provinces expected to face the brunt of the system. Meteorologists expect the hurricane to weaken gradually as it crosses Jamaica before moving toward eastern Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
As night falls, authorities across the region continue to issue urgent warnings. Residents in low-lying and coastal areas have been told to evacuate immediately, avoid travel, and shelter in interior, windowless rooms with sufficient food, water, and emergency supplies. With the eye of Hurricane Melissa drawing ever closer, Jamaica and its neighbours brace for what may become one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent Caribbean history.
