The Caribbean is staring down one of the fiercest storms in modern history. Hurricane Melissa — now a Category 5 monster — is barreling toward Jamaica with sustained winds of 175 miles per hour, making it the strongest storm on the planet this year and among the most intense ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) late Monday issued its starkest warning yet: “Remain in your safe shelter. Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are expected through Tuesday. The eyewall’s destructive winds may cause total structural failure.”
A Nation on Lockdown
By Monday night, Jamaica’s streets were nearly deserted. In Kingston, a city of more than 600,000, rain-slicked roads lay silent under an ominous gray sky. The first outer bands of Melissa were already lashing the capital, toppling trees and downing power lines.
Across the island, 850 public shelters had been opened. As of Monday evening, officials reported that nearly a thousand people had already sought refuge — a number expected to surge overnight.
“We are anticipating huge impact,” said Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon, as city crews worked through the night to clear debris and dredge local waterways in a last-ditch effort to prevent flooding.
Landfall Imminent
At 11 p.m. ET, Melissa was located roughly 150 miles southwest of Kingston, creeping north-northeast at just 2 mph — a dangerously slow pace that threatens to trap Jamaica under relentless rain and wind for hours.
Landfall is expected early Tuesday morning near Black River, on the island’s southern coast.
For Montego Bay, on the northwestern side, the most violent conditions are expected between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET, with wind gusts up to 140 mph and up to two feet of rain.
Kingston could see 60–75 mph gusts and nearly 20 inches of rainfall, double the city’s monthly average.
The NHC warns that storm surge could reach 13 feet, submerging low-lying coastal towns and causing “life-threatening inundation.”
Already Deadly
Even before landfall, Melissa has turned deadly.
Officials confirmed at least three deaths in Jamaica, all of them occurring during storm preparations. Two victims were crushed by falling trees while cutting branches; another was electrocuted while securing power lines.
In neighboring Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the storm has claimed four additional lives, with dozens more injured or missing.
“No Infrastructure Can Withstand This”
Prime Minister Andrew Holness addressed the nation Monday evening, urging calm and preparation.
“There is no infrastructure in this region that can truly withstand a Category 5 storm,” Holness said. “We are praying that this hurricane does not strike us directly, but we must prepare for significant dislocation.”
Holness said his government has readied a “multi-layered response” that includes rapid humanitarian aid within two weeks of landfall, though he acknowledged that international support will be essential for long-term recovery.
Climate Change and an Unforgiving Ocean
Meteorologists say Melissa’s astonishing strength is being fueled by record-warm Caribbean waters — roughly 2.5°F above average.
In just 48 hours, the storm exploded from a tropical storm into a Category 5 hurricane, undergoing two separate periods of rapid intensification.
Climate scientists point to global warming as the driver behind such events. According to data from Climate Central, the extreme ocean temperatures along Melissa’s path were “500 to 800 times more likely” due to climate change.
Warmer air also holds more moisture, leading to heavier, more destructive rainfall.
U.S. Embassies Urge Americans to Leave or Shelter
U.S. embassies across the Caribbean have issued rare, synchronized warnings.
In Jamaica, embassy staff advised Americans to “prepare to shelter in place” through the week, with limited emergency services available.
The U.S. Embassy in The Bahamas urged citizens to depart “while flights remain available.”
In Cuba, where Melissa is expected to make a second landfall late Tuesday night, the embassy cautioned that it could not guarantee safe passage to airports due to unstable infrastructure and power outages.
Honeymooners Stranded, Residents Praying
Among those riding out the storm are Adam and Jordan Simmons, newlyweds from the United States stranded in Montego Bay after flights were canceled over the weekend.
“The vibes are still positive,” Adam said, speaking from their resort, which has converted two restaurants into makeshift shelters. “The staff is calm, but we all know what’s coming.”
Local residents are far less relaxed. In Harbour View, on the island’s southeastern coast, lifelong resident Susan Brown watched waves crash higher and higher Monday night.
“It doesn’t look safe,” she said quietly. “You can see it coming straight ahead. It’s not turning back.”
A Perfect Storm — Literally
Satellite images late Monday showed Melissa as a textbook superstorm — a near-perfect circle, its eye clear and symmetrical, its outer bands wrapping tightly around the core.
Meteorologists called it one of the most visually “impressive” and dangerous storms of the modern satellite era.
The U.S. Air Force’s Hurricane Hunters released footage from inside the eye, revealing a calm, eerie blue sky surrounded by towering walls of clouds — a deceptive calm in the middle of chaos.
What’s Next
After slamming Jamaica, Melissa is projected to tear across southeastern Cuba Tuesday night and into the Bahamas by Wednesday.
Even as it weakens slightly over land, forecasters warn that Melissa’s rain footprint will expand, bringing 12–30 inches of rain to parts of Cuba and up to 12 inches across the Bahamas.
The broader Caribbean — including southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic — faces continued flash flooding and landslide threats through midweek.
The Season’s Late Fury
Though the Atlantic hurricane season officially ends November 30, late-season storms like Melissa are not rare in the Caribbean.
The region’s warm waters and relatively calm upper atmosphere make it a breeding ground for powerful systems even as the rest of the Atlantic cools.
Still, few storms rival Melissa in strength or scope.
It’s a reminder — meteorologists say — of how quickly the Caribbean’s beauty can turn brutal, and how climate change is redrawing the boundaries of what’s meteorologically possible.
As Jamaica braces for dawn, the message from officials is painfully clear: The storm has already begun.