Jamaica Declares Disaster as “Monstrous Melissa” Devastates the Island
Hurricane Melissa has struck Jamaica with unprecedented fury, leaving behind scenes of heartbreak and destruction that the country hasn’t witnessed in over a century. Making landfall as a Category 5 hurricane—the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale—Melissa tore across the island with winds exceeding 180 miles per hour, flooding communities, uprooting trees, and flattening homes. It has been described by meteorologists as “the storm of the century” and by locals as simply “Monstrous Melissa.”
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared Jamaica a national disaster area, calling the situation “devastating beyond words.” He confirmed that hospitals, homes, and major infrastructure have all been damaged or destroyed, and that large parts of the island remain without power. “We are mobilising every resource to respond,” Holness said, while acknowledging that some loss of life is expected due to the storm’s immense strength.
Also Read:- Jamaica Battles the Fury of Hurricane Melissa
- Former Brisbane Lion Rhys Mathieson Handed Three-Year Doping Ban
The hardest-hit area is the parish of St. Elizabeth—Jamaica’s main agricultural region—where floodwaters have submerged entire communities. Local government minister Desmond McKenzie reported that St. Elizabeth is “under water,” and that several families remain trapped in their homes. Emergency crews have struggled to reach them due to washed-out roads and fallen power lines. Over half a million Jamaicans are without electricity, and tens of thousands have sought refuge in emergency shelters.
Videos shared online show streets turned into rivers, roofs ripped off buildings, and massive trees blocking highways. In the capital, Kingston, residents described hearing terrifying explosions as transformers blew and the night sky went dark. One woman shared that parts of her roof caved in and her entire house flooded, while others huddled in cupboards or small makeshift shelters, doing their best to protect their children from the relentless wind.
By the time Melissa exited Jamaica’s northern coast, it had weakened slightly to a Category 4 storm—but the damage was already done. The US National Hurricane Center warned that Melissa was restrengthening as it moved toward eastern Cuba, where over 700,000 people have been evacuated. Cuba’s president Miguel Díaz-Canel has warned that it may be one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike his country.
Climate scientists say the rapid intensification of Melissa—from a tropical storm to a catastrophic hurricane in less than two days—is yet another sign of the world’s warming oceans. Rising sea temperatures have supercharged storms like this, making them stronger, wetter, and slower-moving.
For Jamaicans, this is not just a storm—it’s a stark reminder of the growing dangers of climate change. As Prime Minister Holness said earlier this year, “For small island nations like ours, climate change is not a theory. It’s a daily reality.” And Hurricane Melissa has made that reality painfully clear.
Read More:
0 Comments