Jamaica braces for Hurricane Melissa as powerful storm nears island
Urgent preparations are underway across Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa barrels toward the island, bringing the threat of catastrophic rain, flooding, and wind.
(NBC)- Urgent preparations are underway across Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa barrels toward the island, bringing the threat of catastrophic rain, flooding, and wind.
Residents spent the day stockpiling supplies and sandbagging homes, while government officials issued urgent evacuation warnings.
“This would be the worst ever,” one grocery store customer told NBC News as lines stretched through stores.
At an emergency briefing, Jamaican officials called Melissa “a very dangerous hurricane that is approaching us,” urging everyone to heed official warnings and relocate from low-lying areas.
“I will stand in solidarity with my people,” said Travis Rowe, who plans to remain at home. “We’re just trying to prepare and weather the storm here.”
Authorities have staged buses in flood-prone communities for those choosing to evacuate. Others, like Margaret Parks, a lupus patient, aren’t taking any chances: “Even though I have my medication here, I’m still not taking any chance,” she said.
Airports across Jamaica have suspended operations, leaving tourists stranded. “We’re definitely concerned about the damage, and losing contact with everyone,” said Nicole Doyon, a visitor from Miami. “Getting out after the hurricane might be the biggest challenge.”
Melissa has already left a deadly trail across the Caribbean, killing three people in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, in the U.S., unrelated severe weather swept across parts of the Gulf Coast — including a tornado caught on video in Mississippi. As the storm closes in, Jamaicans brace for impact — and for what could be one of the most destructive hurricanes in years.
