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Jamaica is being battered this Tuesday by Hurricane Melissa, which is hitting the island with violent winds, torrential rains, and severe flooding, according to shocking videos shared by residents and local media.
The images shared on social media reflect the strength of the cyclone: uprooted trees, torn-off roofs, and streets turned into rivers, as Jamaicans seek to protect themselves from the storm.
In some areas, strong winds are blocking vehicle traffic and have caused power outages.
The newspaper Jamaica Observer reported that the main entrance of the Mandeville Regional Hospital, located in the parish of Manchester, remains blocked due to flooding.
The Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) reported that the alternate access remains open through the Hargreaves Avenue gate, next to the Cecil Charlton Hall, while emergency work continues.
Local authorities have urged residents to remain indoors and stay alert to weather advisories due to the ongoing heavy rains and gusts that could worsen damage in the coming hours.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States confirmed that Melissa made landfall in the southwestern portion of Jamaica, near New Hope, with an estimated central pressure of 892 millibars, making it one of the most intense hurricanes to have struck land in the Atlantic.
The authorities of the NHC warned that this is an extremely dangerous and potentially deadly situation, and they urged residents not to leave their shelters while the eye of the hurricane passes over the island, reminding them that winds will intensify again within minutes once the center of the system has moved through.
They also reported that, at 1:00 p.m. (local time), the center of the hurricane was located about 40 kilometers southeast of Negril and 235 kilometers south of Guantánamo, Cuba, moving north-northeast at approximately 15 km/h.
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