KINGSTON, JAMAICA Hurricane Melissa Made Landfall In Jamaica On Tuesday As A Catastrophic Category 5 Storm, Bringing Sustained Winds Of Up To 185 Mph (295 Km/H), Torrential Rains, And Severe Flooding Across The Island. The Storm Uprooted Trees, Destroyed Homes, And Ripped Roofs From Buildings, Plunging Major Cities And Towns Into Chaos. Authorities Described The Hurricane As One Of The Most Powerful Ever Recorded In The Caribbean.
By Late Tuesday, Melissa Had Weakened Slightly To A Category 4 Hurricane As It Moved Off Jamaica’s Northern Coast And Began Tracking Toward Cuba. Despite The Downgrade, Meteorologists Warned That The Storm Continued To Pose A Life-Threatening Risk, With Flash Floods And Landslides Expected To Persist In Several Regions Of Jamaica.
Emergency Services Across The Island Were Stretched Thin As Rescue Teams Battled Dangerous Conditions To Reach Trapped Residents. Power Outages And Communication Breakdowns Were Reported In Multiple Parishes, While Hospitals Shifted To Emergency Operations. Prime Minister Andrew Holness Urged Citizens To Remain Indoors And Assured The Public That Relief Efforts Were Being Mobilized Nationwide.
Regional Forecasters Said Hurricane Melissa Could Remain A Major Storm As It Moves Toward Eastern Cuba And The Bahamas, Raising Fears Of Further Devastation. International Aid Organizations Have Begun Preparing For A Large-Scale Humanitarian Response, As Jamaica Braces For Days Of Recovery From What Officials Are Calling An Unprecedented Natural Disaster.