On Tuesday, Oct 28, Hurricane Melissa, an exceptionally powerful Category 5 hurricane, formed in the Caribbean Sea and struck the coast of Jamaica, wreaking havoc. Meteorologists say the system strengthened at an alarming rate, with winds reaching up to 185 mph and torrential rainfall across the island. Melissa has become one of the most destructive storms in Jamaica’s history. A UN agency and even citizens have called it “the storm of the century.”
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) described Melissa’s arrival as catastrophic, predicting total structural failure for many coastal areas. Storm surge of up to 13 feet and rainfall totals up to 40 inches made for a deadly combination in Jamaica’s mountainous and rugged terrain. Jamaica hasn’t taken a direct hit from a hurricane in over a decade and never from a Category 5. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for Jamaica’s vulnerable coastal areas.
Jamaica’s government responded quickly, ordering evacuations for vulnerable coastal areas. Over 800 emergency shelters were opened across the country, but officials said turnout remained low despite repeated warnings, even as the storm closed in. “Let’s not romanticize this,” said Matthew Samuda, Jamaica’s Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change. “We’re facing 175 mph sustained winds, a 17-foot storm surge, and 30 to 40 inches of rainfall in parts of the country.”
Sophomore Aiden Delia has experienced hurricanes in the past. “A hurricane that strong and big is sure to break a lot of stuff, I would be really scared if it was coming towards me.” His words reflect the anxiety of those who live in hurricane areas and may be affected by one of these increasingly intense storms.
The International Federation of the Red Cross expected 1.5 million people, more than half the country, to be directly affected by the storm. In reality, over 3 million people across multiple countries, mainly Cuba, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic, were impacted. On Thursday, Jamaican government officials reported that over 13,000 residents were still in shelters and 72% without power. Over 70% of the island was reported without power shortly after landfall, according to Desmond McKenzie, Minister for Local Government and Community Development.
International aid is now being mobilized, with Britain, France, and several of Jamaica’s Caribbean neighbors having pledged assistance. The United States also announced plans to help “directly and via local partners who can most effectively deliver it to those in need,” according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Cleanup and rebuild are expected to take months.
As of Halloween, Oct 31, Melissa has moved northwest into cooler Atlantic waters, south of Newfoundland, and is losing strength. Experts claim Melissa reflects a troubling pattern in storm behavior across the Atlantic, a deadly combo of rapid intensification and strengthening. It’s a warning for many that these rare, crazy storms might not be so rare as we thought, but more of a norm with a changing climate and rising ocean temperatures in the bay.
