Jamaica is grappling with severe flooding, destroyed buildings, and blocked roadways following Hurricane Melissa’s landfall, the Associated Press reported. Numerous homes suffered structural damage, including roofs torn off, while fallen trees and rocks obstructed many streets.

Melissa has so far been blamed for seven deaths across the Caribbean, all occurring before the storm reached Jamaica on Tuesday midday: three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps advisor near Kingston, told AP that most residents were sheltering in place despite government evacuation orders in flood-prone areas. He said he was sheltering with his grandmother in Portmore when a loud explosion caused a blackout.

Wider context

More than 240,000 customers were reported without electricity before landfall, and about a quarter of Jamaica’s telecommunications system was offline, according to Darryl Vaz, the transport and energy minister. Vaz expressed hope that Kingston and Montego Bay international airports could reopen as early as Thursday to accommodate emergency relief flights.

The Jamaican government has launched the website Support Jamaica to keep residents updated and collect donations for recovery efforts. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) said rescue and recovery operations will begin as soon as it is safe for crews to move through affected areas. Funds raised will support food, shelter, and medical aid for displaced or affected residents.

Melissa made landfall in Jamaica with sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph), tying the record for the strongest winds at landfall of any Atlantic hurricane.

Melissa is now centered off the northern coast of Jamaica after barreling ashore as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history. It is now a dangerous Category 4 hurricane as it heads next toward Cuba.

The Associated Press listed other record-setting cyclones:

• Hurricane Allen (1980): Winds peaked at 190 mph before hitting Texas, killing more than 200 in Haiti
• Hurricane Dorian (2019): Struck the Bahamas with 185 mph winds, leaving over 70 dead
• Hurricane Wilma (2005): Hit Mexico’s Yucatán and South Florida with 185 mph winds
• Hurricane Gilbert (1988): First landfall in Jamaica, then caused extensive destruction in Mexico with winds of 185 mph
• Labor Day Hurricane (1935): Devastated the Florida Keys with winds of 185 mph
• Hurricane Milton (2024): Reached 180 mph across Florida following Hurricane Helene
• Hurricane Irma (2017): Winds of 180 mph caused over $700 million in damage in Puerto Rico
• Hurricane Rita (2005): Struck Louisiana with 180 mph winds, causing $11bn in damages
• Hurricane Mitch (1998): Brought mudslides and floods that killed over 11,000 people, mainly in Honduras and Nicaragua, with winds at 180 mph

Melissa’s arrival marks what is expected to be one of the most severe natural disasters in recent Caribbean history, with recovery likely to take weeks or months.