Jamaica is reeling after Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm, made landfall early Monday morning, bringing catastrophic winds, torrential rain, and massive coastal flooding. The storm, one of the strongest ever to strike the island, has caused widespread power outages, severe property damage, and forced thousands of residents into emergency shelters.
According to Jamaica’s Meteorological Service, Melissa’s sustained winds exceeded 160 mph, uprooting trees, flattening homes, and cutting off several communities from the capital, Kingston. Emergency services have been stretched thin as authorities race to conduct rescue operations and assess the full scale of destruction.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged citizens to remain indoors and follow official evacuation orders, calling the hurricane “a national emergency unlike anything seen in decades.” The government has requested international assistance as cleanup and recovery efforts begin.
Meteorologists warn that flooding and landslides remain a major threat as the storm moves northwest toward the Cayman Islands. Relief agencies are mobilizing to provide food, water, and medical aid to those affected, as Jamaica faces what could be its most devastating natural disaster in recent history.
