HURRICANE Melissa has ravaged Jamaica – with the category five monster leaving catastrophic flooding and 185mph winds in its path of destruction.
Tourists and locals barricaded themselves indoors while widespread internet outages sparked chaos and “life-threatening” flash floods swamped the streets.
Local authorities received reports of “severely damaged public infrastructure” – with many homes “inundated and flooded”.
Destructive landslides were also expected across parts of the region as rescue workers endured the devastation.
The strongest hurricane in the Jamaica’s history – and nearly the most powerful storm ever recorded – made landfall at 1pm local time near New Hope.
It has since been downgraded to a category four storm by authorities, sustaining winds of 150mph.
‘TAKE COVER NOW’
‘Last chance to save yourself’ officials say as storm Melissa hits Jamaica
EERILY STILL
Chilling calm as storm chasers fly inside eye of 175mph Hurricane Melissa
What we know so far…
Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness told CNN the hurricane would cause “catastrophic damage”.
He said: “There is no infrastructure in this region, or maybe anywhere in the world, that could withstand a category five hurricane without some level of damage.
“I’m praying for those residents, and we have been preparing and we have been praying for the best.”
The Red Cross is on guard to help up to 1.5 million people as concerns for people’s safety and access to life-saving supplies mount.
The slow monster is currently smashing through Jamaica at 9mph – and is expected to unleash lethal storm surge.
Melissa is the one of the most severe Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded – and has pummelled Jamaica with the strongest landfall ever with winds of 185mph.
This record is tied with the Labor Day Hurricane in the US in 1935, and Hurricane Dorian, which smashed the Bahamas in 2019.
Before the storm made landfall, 240,000 locals had already been left without power due to the brutal weather conditions, authorities said.
Three people died during preparations for the historic storm in Jamaica – two were killed by falling trees while the other was electrocuted.
It comes as an advisory was issued at 11am local time by the National Hurricane Centre.
It said: “THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION! TAKE COVER NOW!”
Thousands of Brits including stranded holidaymakers have been trapped on the island.
They include British mum Michaela Menezes who took refuge in a hotel with her two children.
Before the storm struck the island, Michaela said: “We’re expecting to get smashed” as she took The Sun on a video tour of her safe room as the tempest approached.
The family pushed the beds together so the children could be near their mum.
They said they would retreat to the bathroom if the windows are blown in.
Their hotel has generators and water tanks to keep the facilities on – but there’s no telling how well they will hold out.
Michaela said: “We haven’t felt her full wrath yet, but wind speeds are very high and rain is pelting down.
“We’ve been battered for the last six hours, but that’s nothing to the level of strength we’ll soon feel.”
WEATHERING THE STORM
Earlier today, Brits took to social media or sent messages back home to share their thoughts.
One said she was “really scared” and “praying for the whole of Jamaica”, while another said the whole island felt “anxious” as they waited for the storm to hit.
Clips were also posted of hotels and resorts battening down the hatches in anticipation of the ferocious winds.
Rebecca Chapman told BBC Radio 4 this morning that she “doesn’t feel safe” as she scrambled to take shelter with her children just 30 minutes from Montego Bay.
She said: “It never looked like a Caribbean sea, it seems very dark and angry, it’s very foreboding, there’s a weird rumbling noise coming from the horizon, it’s ominous, eerie, strange.”
Brit holidaymaker Andrew Tracey told Sky News he was locked down in a hotel alongside an estimated 200 other Brits.
He said: “The tension in the hotel last night when we went down for dinner was definitely one of nerves, even locals.”
Another Brit, Wayne Gibson, is staying in a hotel on the north coast with his wife and two daughters.
He told the BBC: “My daughters have now become upset because they’re starting to get scared, because we’ve packed up all of our luggage.
“So it’s now starting to become a bit real, and I think the chaotic side of it is now starting to creep in.”
The Foreign Office has set up a crisis centre ready to help Britons on the Caribbean island and the Royal Navy ship HMS Trent is already in the region on stand-by.
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Authorities in Jamaica have instructed locals to find higher ground and issued a number of mandatory evacuation notices.
The government has closed all the airports until further notice, opened emergency shelters, and placed hospitals in emergency mode.
Most powerful Atlantic hurricanes ever
THESE are the ten most powerful Atlantic hurricanes ever, ranked by pressure.
Lower pressure means a stronger storm.
A minimum of 901 mbar has been recorded in Hurricane Melissa, but that could reduce further.
- Hurricane Wilma (2005) — 882 mbar
- Hurricane Gilbert (1988) — 888 mbar
- Labor Day Hurricane (1935) — 892 mbar
- Hurricane Rita (2005) — 895 mbar
- Hurricane Allen (1980) — 899 mbar
- Hurricane Camille (1969) — 900 mbar
- Hurricane Katrina (2005) — 902 mbar
- Hurricane Mitch (1998) — 905 mbar
- Hurricane Dean (2007) — 905 mbar
- Hurricane Maria (2017) — 908 mbar