“All Hands on Deck” Effort as Jamaica Braces for Category 5 Hurricane Melissa

“It’s an all-hands-on-deck approach,” said Jamaican reporter and anchor Amoy Harriott, describing how residents and authorities are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Melissa. “Everybody’s pitching in to support their neighbour and ensure that no man is left behind.”

Harriott told News 5 that three people have died and 13 others were injured in storm-related incidents as Jamaicans rushed to secure their homes. “It is very concerning,” she said. “Melissa has not made landfall yet, and already we’re seeing casualties.”

Jamaican authorities have confirmed that over 200,000 residents are without power, and shelters across the island are already filling up. Agencies like the Jamaica Public Service Company and the National Works Agency are working to limit further disruptions and facilitate restoration.

“We already started seeing some flooding in some areas of the parish. The day before yesterday, landslides, fallen trees, poles, and utility poles had fallen, and I think that’s when it started to hit Jamaicans that actually feel this is serious and it is coming,” Harriott added.

Hurricane Melissa, now the strongest storm on the planet this year, is expected to make landfall this afternoon as a Category 5 system with winds exceeding 170 mph.

The eye is approaching the southwest coast of Jamaica. Landfall will officially occur once at least half of the eye is over land, likely in the next hour or two.

The National Hurricane Center has warned of “catastrophic winds, flash flooding, and landslides” across Jamaica, which could face its worst hurricane since Gilbert in 1988.

The storm is expected to hit Cuba and bring severe weather to other parts of the Caribbean, including the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.