Hurricane Melissa devastates Jamaica as Category 5 storm barrels toward Cuba

Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in recorded history, slammed into Jamaica on Tuesday.

(CNN)- Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in recorded history, slammed into Jamaica on Tuesday, leaving widespread devastation and cutting power to hundreds of thousands across the island.

Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica’s Minister of Local Government, described the storm as catastrophic.
“The entire Jamaica has felt the brunt of Melissa,” he said. “Jamaica’s gone through what I can call one of its worst periods.”

Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, battering the island with torrential rain, flooding, and landslides. The country’s southwestern regions were hit hardest, with extensive damage to homes, schools, and hospitals.

Brian Bogart, Caribbean Country Director for the World Food Programme, said the storm has crippled vital agricultural areas.
“Some of those areas like Saint Elizabeth Parish are the main food-producing regions of the country,” Bogart explained.

McKenzie confirmed that the parish—often called Jamaica’s “breadbasket”—suffered a devastating blow. “St. Elizabeth has taken a beating,” he said.

Emergency officials reported that hundreds of thousands remain without electricity, and recovery efforts are already underway.

After tearing across Jamaica, Melissa moved northwest toward Cuba, bringing the threat of catastrophic flooding and storm surge.

Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, warned that coastal areas in southeastern Cuba could see storm surges of 8 to 12 feet above normal tides, along with “dangerous major hurricane-force winds.”

Cuban authorities said more than 735,000 residents have been evacuated as the island braces for the hurricane’s impact.

As recovery begins in Jamaica, officials are urging international aid, calling Hurricane Melissa “the storm of the century.”