Jamaica remains under a hurricane warning as powerful Category 3 Hurricane Melissa moves away from the island and heads toward eastern Cuba, bringing ruinous flooding, landslides and widespread damage.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica reported rainfall totals between 15 and 30 inches across parts of the island, with higher amounts in mountainous regions. Doppler radar showed more than 250 millimeters (10 inches) in some southern parishes. Officials warned of disastrous flash floods and landslides, especially in central and hilly areas.
Large and destructive waves battered the southern coast between St. Elizabeth, one of the island’s oldest parishes and St. Catherine. Storm surge flooding on the southern coast was expected to subside overnight, but a surge of 2 to 4 feet remained possible on the northwestern coastline.
On Tuesday, videos circulated on social media showing the catastrophic damage to Black River Hospital, a St. Elizabeth parish hospital. Melissa had torn the building’s roof off completely, and the floor was covered in inches of floodwater. Medical staff and patients were forced to evacuate, and some were housed at Black River’s local police station.
Black River made history in 1893 as the first town in Jamaica to have electricity. The system was introduced by John Leyden, who also brought the first car and generator to the area. The power came from a plant that used logwood to produce steam. Waterloo House, located on High Street in Black River, was the first home in Jamaica to be powered by electricity.
Santa Cruz, another town in the parish, developed from a small market village into a busy town during the 1950s and 1960s. The growth was driven by nearby bauxite mining and the opening of St. Elizabeth Technical High School in 1961. The area has deep historical ties to plantation estates where enslaved Africans once worked. Nearby sites such as Lover’s Leap remain reminders of that period.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared Jamaica a disaster area on Tuesday after the storm tore through the island. “The entire Jamaica has felt the brunt of Melissa,” he said.
Government minister Desmond McKenzie said the damage was widespread and severe, with several hospitals hit hard.
“The damage to Saint Elizabeth is extensive,” McKenzie said, calling the coastal district “underwater.” He added that Saint Elizabeth, considered Jamaica’s agricultural heartland, had been “devastated.”
The Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) said all airports remain closed as officials assess damage. A phased reopening is planned once conditions stabilize.
In an effort to maintain communications, Liberty Caribbean, parent company of Flow Jamaica, announced it has deployed an emergency network powered by Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite technology. The company said 70% of its mobile data customers now have access to the “FLOW STARLINK” service.
Holness announced the launch of the Government of Jamaica’s official platform to “coordinate relief, mobilize support and manage recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa,” and “designed to serve Jamaicans at home and abroad who wish to assist with national recovery efforts.”
Visit: http://supportjamaica.gov.jm
Hurricane Melissa is expected to move over eastern Cuba early Wednesday before crossing the southeastern or central Bahamas. The storm is forecast to approach Bermuda late Thursday and is anticipated to remain a powerful hurricane throughout its path.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 kilometers (30 miles) from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds reach as far as 315 kilometers (195 miles).
President Donald Trump said the United States is prepared to help Jamaica recover from the storm’s devastation. “We’re watching it closely, and we’re prepared to move,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. Trump commented on the storm’s intensity, saying, “I’ve never seen that before. I guess it can get that high, but I’ve never seen it.”
