Hurricane Melissa Makes Landfall in Jamaica, Heads Toward Cuba

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica’s southwestern coast near New Hope around 1 p.m. ET Tuesday as a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and a central pressure of 892 millibars–one of the lowest ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. 

In Jamaica: Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said there were reports of significant damage to residential property, housing and commercial property. NBC News (Lean Left bias) quoted Jamaica's local government minister Desmond McKenzie saying hospitals and health facilities suffered significant roof and power damage, prompting the evacuation of at least 75 patients. He also reported the Parish of St. Elizabeth is "underwater." BBC (Center) wrote more than 800 emergency shelters were opened nationwide, housing around 15,000 people as the storm passed. The forced closure of all airports has also left roughly 25,000 tourists stranded. Forecasters warned of up to 40 inches of rain, 13-foot storm surges, and continuing “catastrophic” flooding in some areas. 

‘Storm of the Century’: As of this posting, there hasn’t been an official report of storm-related deaths, however Holness said he is expecting “some loss of life.” Melissa was described as “the storm of the century” by The New York Post (Lean Right), which compared it to the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. According to NBC, Melissa has the second-highest wind speed recorded for an Atlantic hurricane, tied with four other hurricanes, and stronger than Hurricane Katrina. Only Hurricane Allen of 1980 had stronger winds at 190 mph. As of Tuesday evening, the storm had weakened to a Category 3 hurricane, but was strengthening again to a Category 4 as it neared Cuba, according to the NHC.

Where Melissa is Headed Next: Evacuations are now in place for five eastern Cuban provinces as Melissa is expected to be hit in the next few hours. The southeastern and central Bahamas are also under warnings, and Bermuda remains under a hurricane watch. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged residents to remain “alert, disciplined, and united." The hurricane is also expected to bring tropical-storm conditions to Haiti, the Turks and Caicos Islands.

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the political spectrum covered the severity and potential widespread damage from the storm, the humanitarian impacts and the impact of the storm as it heads toward Cuba.

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