Hurricane Melissa Makes Historic Landfall in Jamaica with 185 mph Winds

Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph, made landfall in southwestern Jamaica near New Hope around 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday. This marks one of the most powerful hurricane landfalls on record in the Atlantic Basin.

Deputy Chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council, Desmond McKenzie, urged residents to seek shelter and remain indoors as the storm traverses the island. He emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, "Jamaica, this is not the time to be brave."

Prime Minister Andrew Holness acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the storm, noting, "There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5." He highlighted the forthcoming challenge, adding, "The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge."

The National Hurricane Center warned of a life-threatening storm surge up to 13 feet across southern Jamaica, with officials expressing concern about the impact on coastal hospitals. Health Minister Christopher Tufton reported that some patients were relocated to higher floors in anticipation of the surge.

Prior to landfall, the storm was already blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic.

As of 12 p.m. ET Tuesday, Melissa was centered about 40 miles south-southeast of Negril, Jamaica, moving north-northeast at 9 mph.

The International Red Cross estimated that 1.5 million people in the storm’s path would be affected, with the entire population potentially feeling the impact in some form.

More than 240,000 customers were without power before landfall, and about one-fourth of the telecommunications system was offline, according to Transport and Energy Minister Darryl Vaz. He mentioned that crews would assess the island's two main international airports on Wednesday, aiming to receive emergency relief flights as early as Thursday.

U.N. agencies and numerous nonprofits had prepositioned food, medicine, and other essential supplies, preparing for distribution after the storm. Water and Environment Minister Matthew Samuda reported that over 50 generators were ready for deployment post-storm and advised residents to conserve clean water.

Following its passage over Jamaica, Melissa is expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba late Tuesday or early Wednesday, with hurricane warnings in effect for several Cuban provinces.