Jamaica Braces for Hurricane Melissa

Jamaica is preparing for the full force of Hurricane Melissa — now a Category Five storm — as it edges closer to the island with winds of up to 160mph and the threat of catastrophic flooding.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said early Monday that Melissa had strengthened to the highest possible category, describing it as the most powerful storm to hit the region since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. Forecasters warn that some parts of Jamaica could see up to 40 inches (one metre) of rain, triggering flash floods and landslides across the island. “This extreme rainfall potential, owing to the slow motion, is going to create a catastrophic event here for Jamaica,” said NHC Deputy Director Jamie Rhome.

Residents have been boarding up windows, filling gas canisters, and seeking safety in one of the island’s 881 shelters — all of which are now open. “You need to just be wherever you’re going to be and be ready to ride this out for several days,” Rhome added. Both of Jamaica’s international airports and its seaports have been shut down. In Kingston, even zookeepers have been moving animals to safer areas.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness ordered immediate evacuations in several areas, including Port Royal, Rocky Point, Old Harbour Bay, and Bull Bay. Jamaica’s Minister of Local Government, Desmond McKenzie, urged people not to take risks: “Many of these communities will not survive this flooding. There is nothing more we can do as a government but to beg and beseech persons to heed the warning. And if it will help, I will go on my knees.”

Melissa has already claimed at least four lives — three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic — where heavy rain caused deadly floods and landslides. In the Dominican Republic, a 79-year-old man was swept away in Santo Domingo, and a 13-year-old boy remains missing after being pulled out to sea.

After hitting Jamaica late Monday or early Tuesday, Melissa is expected to weaken slightly but remain a major hurricane as it moves across southeastern Cuba and then the Bahamas. The Cuban government has already issued hurricane warnings for several provinces.

Officials say the storm’s strength and slow movement have been made worse by warming ocean temperatures. As a small island nation contributing just 0.02% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Jamaica is particularly vulnerable to these extreme weather events. Prime Minister Holness has previously said, “Climate change is not a distant threat or an academic consideration. It is a daily reality for small island developing states like Jamaica.”

With the entire island under threat, McKenzie had one final warning for residents: “This is one bet you cannot win. You cannot bet against Melissa.”