Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth Parish on the southwest side of the island on Tuesday. Live video footage captured the devastating impacts of the storm as it tore through Jamaica.
Newsweek reached out to the National Hurricane Center via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 185 mph. The storm is the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica in the island’s history.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued numerous urgent messages ahead of the storm’s landfall.
“Jamaica: THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION! TAKE COVER NOW!” the NHC said in the most recent key advisory about the storm.
What To Know
Several live cam videos captured the storm’s impacts as it barreled onshore on Tuesday. The brunt of the impacts is being felt in St. Elizabeth Parish, the southwestern part of the island, where Hurricane Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 storm.
When Did Hurricane Melissa Hit Jamaica?
Hurricane Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 storm late Tuesday morning. The storm hit St. Elizabeth Parish in southwest Jamaica as it moved onshore.
It is expected to tear through Jamaica throughout Tuesday, then make landfall in Eastern Cuba overnight, still at major hurricane strength.
How Many Have Died in Hurricane Melissa So Far?
The storm has killed at least seven people in the Caribbean. NHC meteorologists warned that it continues to strengthen as it approaches the island.
Local media reports that three people have died in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another is missing.
Three others were killed in Jamaica during storm preparations, Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton said Monday, according to The Gleaner. Two died while cutting trees, and a third was electrocuted, the Associated Press reported. Another 13 were injured as locals rushed to prepare for the worst storm in history.
Live Video Feeds Show Hurricane Melissa’s Impact on Treasure Beach, Jamaica
Treasure Beach is a tourist destination and fishing village located in St. Elizabeth Parish, where Melissa made landfall. Live webcam footage shared on X late Tuesday morning showed the devastating impacts brought by Melissa.
“Live view of Treasure Beach Jamaica of the intense eyewall now impacting at full strength… Listen to the sound,” the account @StormHQwx posted on X just before 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
The video shows extremely strong winds and heavy rain pummeling the island. Wind can be heard screaming by in the audio.
Numerous webcams from See Jamaica showed the storm’s current impacts on the rest of the island. Kingston Harbor, near southeast Jamaica, was experiencing rough seas early Tuesday afternoon. Flat Bridge, which crosses the Rio Cobre, was flooded.
What People Are Saying
Social media account Volcaholic posted on X: “Terrifying footage coming from Treasure beach in Jamaica as hurricane Melissa makes landfall.”
The NHC, in a key advisory about Hurricane Melissa: “Catastrophic winds with total structure failure are [likely] near the path of Melissa’s center. [Catastrophic] flash flooding, landslides, and destructive winds are expected across the remainder of the island causing widespread infrastructure damage, power and communication outages, and isolated communities. Along the southern coast, life-threatening storm surge and damaging waves are expected through the day.”
What Happens Next
People in Jamaica should stay in their shelter until the storm passes. Hurricane Melissa will make landfall in eastern Cuba overnight before taking aim at the Bahamas.
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