Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a powerful Category 5 storm, one of the strongest ever to hit the island, and is expected to leave a trail of widespread destruction in its wake. Hurricane Melissa is expected to affect up to 1.5 million people in Jamaica, with officials warning of widespread devastation along the storm’s path.
Hurricane Melissa will sustain as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph. In Jamaica, she entered near the parish of St. Elizabeth in the south and exited around the parish of St. Anne in the North.
At least seven people have died in the Caribbean due to Hurricane Melissa – three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.
After making landfall in Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa heads for Cuba. Thousands of people living in the impact area were evacuated before the hurricane made landfall.
Authorities in the eastern Cuban province of Holguin prepared to evacuate more than 200,000 people on Tuesday, with a similar number moving to safety from the city of Banes. Melissa would make landfall in eastern Cuba overnight Tuesday or Wednesday.
Footage on social media and state television showed blue-and-white buses transporting evacuees to shelters. Families clung tightly to babies and bundles of belongings as elderly passengers, some leaning on canes, gingerly exited the buses.
Deputy Prime Minister Eduardo Martínez said: “This phenomenon is very dangerous. It is unprecedented.”
Prime Minister Andrew Holness said: “There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand Category 5. The question now is the speed of recovery. That is the challenge.”
“It’s going to be a very dangerous scenario,” said Michael Brennan, director of the US National Hurricane Center in Miami, warning that there would be “total failure of buildings.”
Jamaica’s highest mountains could also see winds gusting up to 200 mph. Michael Brennan said: “It’s just a catastrophic situation for Jamaica.”
Desmond McKenzie, vice-chairman of the Jamaica Disaster Risk Management Board, urged people to move to shelters or stay indoors during the Category 5 storm to stay safe.
“Jamaica, this is not the time for courage,” Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie told a briefing.
(With input from agencies)
