Hurricane Melissa puts the Caribbean on edge, Jamaica braces for one of the strongest storms

Jamaica is on high alert as Hurricane Melissa barrels through the Caribbean, threatening to become one of the strongest storms ever to make landfall on the island. The weather forecasters have also predicted that this storm could hit Jamaica as an upper-end Category 4 hurricane on Tuesday, bringing winds, flooding and widespread destruction.  

According to the reports by the   National Hurricane Centre (NHC), Jamaica has faced only one Category 4 hurricane in its documented history  “Wild Gilbert,” in 1988 which remains in the memory of the entire island nation.  

Gilbert carried sustained winds of 130 miles per hour, barely crossing the threshold into Category 4 territory. The storm displaced about half a million people killing 45, and crippling essential services like power and water.  

The Hurricane Centre described the destruction as devastating and “grim evidence” of power which such a storm can unleash. Nearly about four decades later, the island nation could be experiencing a similar situation, if not worse.  

According to The New York Times, on Sunday morning, Philippe Papin, a senior hurricane specialist at the Hurricane Center, said that Hurricane Melissa was expected to have wind strengths at the highest end of a Category 4 storm as it nears Jamaica.

He said, “In our latest forecast, the system looks to be a 155 miles per hour Category 4 hurricane on Tuesday morning and it’s looking increasingly likely that Jamaica will have a direct impact from Hurricane Melissa.”

If the meteorologists hold the correct view, Melissa could surpass Gilbert in strength. Jamaica could be witnessing the most powerful storm, inflicting damage without direct landfall.  

The Hurricane can largely impact the financial condition of the nation triggering major displacement and floods that earlier caused over $200 million losses. If we turn the pages, we would see that Hurricane Dean in 2007 and Hurricane Ivan in 2004 also brought widespread destruction.  

As Hurricane Melissa edges closer, Jamaican authorities have begun emergency preparations, urging residents to secure homes, stock supplies, and follow evacuation measures.