Jamaica braces for landfall of Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa is set to make landfall in Jamaica this morning (Tues., Oct. 28), with the latest reports from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) indicating that it will arrive with maximum sustained winds near 175 mph (280 km/h) with higher gusts.

During the past few hours, Jamaica has been experiencing the effects of the hurricane-force winds, with Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston reporting a sustained wind of 43 mph (69 km/h) and a gust of 59 mph (93 km/h); while Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay has reported a sustained wind of 38 mph (61 km/h) and a gust of 54 mph (87 km/h).

Hurricane Melissa is expected to bring rainfall of 15 to 30 inches to portions of Jamaica.

Over the past few days, Jamaica has been furiously preparing for the Category 5 storm, which will bring with it ‘catastrophic flash flooding, landslides and destructive winds through today (Tues., Oct. 28) that will cause widespread infrastructure damage, power and communication outages, and isolate communities.

The NHC said in its messaging, that “total structural failure is possible near the path of Melissa’s centre, and that along the southern coast, life-threatening storm surge and damaging waves are expected through the day.

Government officials in Jamaica are advising citizens to shelter in place, and have said that the island has made all preparations possible for Hurricane Melissa, but continue to warn of catastrophic damage.

As of 8 am, in a post on Visit Jamaica’s Facebook page, there are reports that coastal routes are experiencing flooding and citizens are warned to avoid all unnecessary travel.

Major resorts remain on lockdown with all emergency protocols activated; guests are advised to remain indoors.