Latest Hurricane Melissa: Jamaica faces ‘hurricane of the century’ disaster to make landfall

A ferocious Category 5 storm is set to batter Jamaica, with forecasters warning it will be the strongest to hit the island since records began 174 years ago.

As of Tuesday morning, at least seven people had died in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.

The video, shot by Lt. Col. Mark Vitti of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the “Hurricane Hunters,” shows crews passing through the storm to gather weather information for the National Hurricane Center.

The Jamaican police force has mobilized 12,000 personnel and has another 2,000 officers on standby to deal with Hurricane Melissa.

Deputy Police Commissioner for Strategic Operations Warren Clarke told the nation on Monday: “Rest assured that the Jamaican Police Force is fully prepared and dedicated to protecting the lives and property of all Jamaicans and visitors during this challenging time. We will do our best to support the nation during Hurricane Melissa.”

People in Jamaica have been told to evacuate as “life-threatening” Hurricane Melissa speeds toward the Caribbean island.

At least seven people have died so far, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic. One person is missing

Jamaica’s prime minister urged residents to evacuate the island as Cyclone Melissa made landfall on Monday (October 27) with strong winds.

A ferocious Category 5 storm is set to hit Jamaica on Tuesday, with forecasters warning that it will be the strongest to hit the island since records began 174 years ago.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for seven Jamaican areas across Kingston, Clarendon, St. Catherine and St. Andrews – but despite Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ plea for people to seek shelter, some Jamaicans said they were staying put.

“I’m not moving. I don’t believe I can escape death,” Roy Brown told AFP in Port Royal. And he stated his reason for not evacuating the poor experiences about the conditions of government shelters.

The International Federation of the Red Cross has warned that at least 1.5 million people will be directly affected by Hurricane Melissa.

Even that figure could be an “underestimate,” Nesfur Mughandi, head of the IFRC’s delegation for the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, told AFP.

The World Meteorological Organization called Melissa the “hurricane of the century” for the Caribbean island.

“It’s a catastrophic situation in Jamaica,” WMO tropical cyclone specialist Anne-Claire Fontaine told a press briefing in Geneva.

“For Jamaica, it will certainly be the storm of the century.”

He added that Hurricane Maria was a stronger example of a storm that affected a wider area and hit Puerto Rico in 2017. At least 3059 people were killed in this disaster.

According to Zoom Earth mapping, the eye of the Category 5 storm has blown slightly to the west.

This means it could be on its way to the southwest coast of Jamaica, but delay landfall.

It also means it can strike during daylight hours rather than darkness, making disaster efforts easier for services and civilians alike.