This article reports on Hurricane Melissa striking Jamaica, describing its size and intensity, official warnings and descriptions, eyewitness conditions, secondary hazards like displaced crocodiles, emergency communications challenges, and outside aid including Starlink, with quoted National Hurricane Center and local agency warnings preserved exactly as originally stated.

Monster Hurricane Melissa Slamming Jamaica Right Now, Damage Predictions Are Catastrophic

Jamaica is one of my favorite places in the world. I proposed there, got married there, and now have extended family there. My wife was just on the Caribbean island visiting, but was lucky enough to escape before Hurricane Melissa hit.

I say “lucky enough” because Melissa is a monster that is expected to wreak havoc on the tropical nation, and I’m saddened to report that the powerful storm is hitting as of this writing. The size and ferocity of this hurricane have officials and residents bracing for extreme impacts. Local reports and official updates show a storm still carrying massive winds, heavy rain, and dangerous surge potential.

Melissa’s center is now squarely over western Jamaica, two hours after it officially made landfall.

The hurricane is interacting with land, cut off from the warm water fuel it needs to maintain its full power. Melissa appears to be losing some strength, as evidenced by the dramatic shrinking of its eye in the loop above.

A clear, almost perfectly circular eye is a sign of an intensely powerful hurricane. Melissa still has an eye, but the shrinking and slight warping of that circle indicates the ferocious winds rushing around the eye — called the eyewall — are taking a hit.

Residents on the ground describe relentless wind and water chewing at roofs, trees, and power infrastructure. Leaks are showing in older and less secure structures and trees are uprooting under the strain. Communications are already spotty, with intermittent contact to family and periodic internet outages making situational awareness difficult.

It’s huge:

Size here matters as much as intensity, because a sprawling storm floods large areas at once and keeps dangerous conditions in place for many hours. That footprint raises the risk of wide-reaching infrastructure failures and prolonged isolation of affected communities. Even where winds drop briefly, the flooding and debris left behind will keep the emergency alive for days.

• Storm of the century: Earlier, Prime Minister Andrew Holness told CNN the storm will cause “catastrophic damage.” Jamaica has never taken a hit from a Category 5, with a UN agency describing Melissa as the “storm of the century.”

Officials have urged everyone in the projected path to shelter and stay put until it is unequivocally safe to emerge. The National Hurricane Center and local authorities are emphasizing that the storm’s eyewall and surge can create sudden, deadly changes in conditions. Turning a blind eye or venturing out during a lull could be fatal when the eye passes and winds return from the other direction.

“Do not leave your shelter as the eye passes over, as winds will rapidly increase on the other side of the eye,” the NHC said. “Residents should not leave their shelter and should remain in place through the passage of these life-threatening conditions.”

On the interpersonal side, family updates are as raw as they get: short messages, heart emojis, and clipped notes that signal people are holding on but battered. Power lines and cell towers are taking hits, so updates come in bursts and then go dark. Expect intermittent contact and plan for long windowed outages as crews attempt restoration after the worst passes.

There are also unusual hazards rising from the flooding. Heavy rains and swollen waterways can displace wildlife and send animals into unexpected zones of human habitation. Authorities flagged displaced crocodiles as a risk, urging caution around swollen rivers and flooded lowlands where these animals could turn up.

The heavy rains and flooding associated with the storm “may result in crocodiles being displaced from their natural habitats,” the South East Regional Health Authority, part of the country’s ministry of health, said in a statement today.

Public figures with ties to the island have publicly expressed concern and support for those affected as the storm continues its destructive sweep. Outside assistance is already being mobilized in various forms, and private-sector technologies are being offered to shore up emergency communications. Any help that keeps people connected and rescue operations coordinated will be critical over the next 48 to 72 hours.

Although winds have eased slightly in measured gusts, the hurricane remains capable of extreme destruction and life-threatening hazards. Forecasts and advisories continue to call for catastrophic winds, flash flooding, and dangerous storm surge across the island. Ground teams will need time and safe conditions before conducting widespread assessments of damage and needs.

Hurricane Melissa’s wind speed has decreased as it tracks deeper into Jamaica Tuesday afternoon. As of 2 p.m. ET, the hurricane’s maximum winds are at 165 mph, down 20 mph from just an hour ago, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricanes are fueled by water, so any interaction with land starts to degrade them. But Melissa is so powerful, that drop in wind speed does not significantly affect its impact.

Catastrophic winds, flash flooding and storm surge are occurring on Jamaica, the hurricane center warned.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has stepped in to help with his Starlink internet service:

I join many others in hoping for swift safety and recovery for everyone on the island. Updates will continue to arrive in fits and starts, and recovery will be a difficult, methodical task once the storm moves away and teams can evaluate the damage. For now, the focus is on sheltering, staying informed through available channels, and waiting out the life-threatening conditions.