Hurricane Melissa reaches Category 5: evacuations and risk of catastrophic flooding in Jamaica

Jamaica braces for the impact of an unprecedented hurricane. Melissa has reached Category 5, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds exceeding 150 miles per hour. Experts are calling the storm exceptionally intense because of how quickly it strengthened and how slowly it advanced, a combination that greatly increases the risk of catastrophic damage. The National Hurricane Center of the United States monitors the situation constantly and forecasts landfall, i.e. the arrival of the storm on the mainland with the center of the cyclone touching the coast, between Monday night and Tuesday morning along the southern coast of the island.

Jamaican authorities have declared a high alert and ordered mandatory evacuations in seven areas considered particularly vulnerable, including Port Royal and Old Harbor Bay. Both international airports were closed and 881 shelters were activated, but some residents chose to remain in their homes despite official warnings. Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie sent a clear message: “Many of these communities will not survive the flood. Don’t gamble with Melissa. It’s not a sure bet.”

The storm will bring torrential rain and flooding that could exceed one meter in some areas of eastern Jamaica, accompanied by sudden landslides and the risk of entire communities being isolated. The director of the Jamaican Meteorological Service, Evan Thompson, underlined that Melissa could represent the most powerful hurricane in recent decades, with consequences for infrastructure, power lines and communications.

Melissa has already made her fury felt in other Caribbean countries. In Haiti, the hurricane caused at least three victims and destroyed crops in three regions, worsening an already critical humanitarian situation with more than half the population living in conditions of serious food insecurity. In the Dominican Republic, one person has died, more than 3,760 residents have been displaced and approximately 48 communities are isolated due to damage to roads and bridges.

After Jamaica, Melissa will move towards eastern Cuba and then towards the southeastern Bahamas, extending the threat to much of the Caribbean. Experts warn that the hurricane poses not only a risk to human lives, but also a potential economic disaster, with damage estimated at billions of dollars if the most pessimistic predictions come true. The entire region is following Melissa’s evolution with apprehension, while the population prepares for days of fear, evacuations and extreme weather conditions.