Hurricane Melissa hammers Jamaica: 7 dead and one missing – Shocking images

Hurricane Melissa hammers Jamaica: 7 dead and one missing – Shocking images

He continues his pounding on Jamaica the typhoon Melissa, with the so far tally, speaking of 7 dead in its wake.

THE hurricane melissa is over western jamaica, two hours after it officially made landfall as a dangerous Category 5 hurricane, shortly after it became a Category 4. There are already reports of flooded roads and bridges, as well as widespread internet outages on the island.

Earlier, Prime Minister Andrew Holness told CNN the storm would cause “catastrophic damage.” Jamaica has never been hit by a Category 5 hurricane before, while a UN agency called Melissa “the storm of the century”.

WavesWaves
Hurricane Melissa hits Jamaica / AP

Melissa has already killed seven people – three in Jamaica during preparations for the storm, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.

A hooded manA hooded man
Hurricane Melissa hits Jamaica / AP

It will take days or even weeks to capture the scale of the devastation

A full assessment of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica could take days or even weeks, according to the director of the US National Hurricane Center.

“It may take days or weeks to fully grasp the magnitude of what’s happening here and what’s going to happen in the next few hours,” Michael Brennan told CNN.

As he explained, the disruption of communication systems and the debris have isolated many communities.

Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of up to 185 miles per hour (about 295 kilometers per hour) – the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the country.

Waves batter Jamaican coastline as Hurricane Melissa ragesWaves batter Jamaican coastline as Hurricane Melissa rages
Waves “lash” the Jamaican coastline as Hurricane Melissa rages / REUTERS / Photo Octavio Jones

It is currently moving over Jamaica, bringing damaging winds, heavy rainfall and dangerous waves.

Satellite image of Hurricane MelissaSatellite image of Hurricane Melissa
Satellite image of Hurricane Melissa / CSU / CIRA & NOAA / Handout via REUTERS
Hurricane Melissia approaches JamaicaHurricane Melissia approaches Jamaica
REUTERS/Octavio Jones

A UN agency called Melissa “the storm of the century”. Before it made landfall, Prime Minister Andrew Holness had warned the storm would cause “catastrophic damage”.

Although infrastructure in Jamaica’s urban areas, such as Kingston, has improved in recent years, rural and informal communities remain particularly vulnerable, climate scientist Michael Taylor told CNN. An official added that the country’s power grid was already strained before the typhoon’s passage.

Hurricane Melissa was still at Category 5 strength, but late Tuesday night on 10/28/2025, it became a Category 4.

According to the US National Hurricane Center, by 3 p.m. EST, Melissa is recording sustained winds of 160 mph (approx. 257 kilometers).

Despite a slight decrease in wind speed of 5 mph in the last hour, the hurricane remains an extremely powerful and dangerous hurricane. In its most recent update, the Hurricane Center issued a stern warning to Jamaicans not to relax.

Residents of Jamaica are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane MelissaResidents of Jamaica are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Melissa
Residents of Jamaica prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Melissa / REUTERS / Photo Octavio Jones

The “eye” of the hurricane is actually an area of ​​relatively calm weather. This can lead people to mistakenly believe that the danger has passed, when in fact the most dangerous part of the storm is ahead.

There are widespread reports of internet outages across Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa approaches the island earlier today, according to internet monitoring organization NetBlocks. The outages occurred as strong winds brought down power lines.

At the same time, damage is also being reported to other infrastructure across Jamaica.

Many bridges and roads across the country have been flooded, including major arterial roads leading to remote areas, according to Jamaica’s National Public Works Agency, which posted updates on social media.

Another danger: Crocodiles

Authorities in Jamaica are warning residents of another danger amid the dangerous weather conditions caused by Hurricane Melissa: crocodiles.

The heavy rains and flooding accompanying the storm “may lead to movement of crocodiles from their natural habitats,” the Southeast Jamaica Regional Health Authority, under the country’s Ministry of Health, said in a statement.

Evacuations in Cuba as well

About 168,900 people have been evacuated from Santiago de Cuba province, the country’s second most populous region, as Hurricane Melissa approaches.

Authorities are prioritizing the province’s high-risk areas, such as coastal and mountain communities, settlements near rivers and areas under dams, said Beatrice Johnson Urrutia, First Secretary of the Party’s Provincial Committee.

Waves hit the coast before Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Santiago, CubaWaves hit the coast before Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Santiago, Cuba
Waves hit the coast before Hurricane Melissa hits Santiago, Cuba / REUTERS / Photo by Norlys Perez

Santiago de Cuba, one of the country’s five provinces under hurricane warning, is expected to experience the worst conditions from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, with wind gusts reaching 160 to 190 kilometers per hour.

Cuba’s energy ministry announced it would disconnect three thermal power plants in the east of the country, where the storm is expected to hit.

The damage and heavy rains from Melissa are expected to further exacerbate Cuba’s already serious problems, including power shortages, economic instability and the mosquito-borne dengue fever epidemic.

Source link

Leave a Comment