Hurricane Melissa Makes Historic Category 5 Landfall in Jamaica: Where It Hit, What’s Happening Now, and What Comes Next

Hurricane Melissa roared ashore in southwestern Jamaica around 12:00 p.m. local time (Tuesday, Oct. 28) as a Category 5 storm, delivering catastrophic winds, life-threatening storm surge, and extreme flooding. Initial assessments point to severe structural damage in communities near the landfall zone and rapidly deteriorating conditions across western and central parishes as the eyewall moved north-northeast over the island’s mountainous spine.

Where and when Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica

• Landfall location: Near New Hope in St. Elizabeth on Jamaica’s southwest coast.

• Timing: Around noon local time with the eye moving inland during the early afternoon.

• Intensity at landfall: Category 5, with winds well above the 157 mph threshold and a compact but ferocious eyewall.

• Motion: Slow north-northeast drift, prolonging destructive winds and maximizing rainfall totals over elevated terrain.

Small wobbles in the track shifted the worst winds across neighboring parishes, but the core impacts remained concentrated from St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland into Manchester, St. James, and Trelawny, with dangerous squalls spreading island-wide.

The most dangerous hazards right now

• Catastrophic wind damage: Roof failures, shattered windows, and downed concrete poles reported in the landfall corridor; debris becoming airborne in the eyewall.

• Storm surge flooding: South-coast inlets and low-lying corridors experienced rapid seawater rise near and east of landfall. As the center traverses the island, north-coast bays and river mouths face a secondary surge and wave setup.

• Extreme rainfall and landslides: A slow-moving core over steep terrain is producing life-threatening flash floods. River crests can peak hours after the strongest winds, especially after sunset.

• Power and communications outages: Transmission lines and feeder roads are impacted, meaning restoration will lag in isolated areas until debris clearance allows access.

Parish-level timing snapshot (approximate)

• St. Elizabeth / Manchester: Peak winds and surge late morning–early afternoon, then flood-focused threats through evening.

• Westmoreland / St. James / Hanover: Eyewall and severe squalls early–mid afternoon, with coastal runup and structural damage reported.

• Trelawny / St. Ann: Peak winds mid–late afternoon; flash flooding escalates along rivers and gullies.

• Clarendon / St. Catherine / Kingston & St. Andrew: Violent squalls and tornado-like gusts late morning through afternoon; treat any midday calm as the eye.

• St. Mary / Portland / St. Thomas: Strongest bands afternoon into evening, with landslide risk climbing after the core passes.

Calm conditions during the eye are temporary; backside winds arrive abruptly from the opposite direction.

Government actions and public guidance

Authorities activated nationwide shelters, suspended airport and port operations, and warned that emergency response may pause during peak winds. Residents are urged to remain sheltered until an official all-clear. After the core passes, avoid flooded roadways, treat downed lines as energized, and use generators outdoors only to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Why Melissa became so destructive over Jamaica

Three factors aligned for a worst-case impact:

1. Rapid intensification over very warm waters, boosting wind speeds and tightening the eyewall just before landfall.

2. Slow forward speed, keeping destructive winds and rainbands over the same parishes for hours.

3. Orographic lift from Jamaica’s mountains, wringing out extreme rainfall and channeling runoff into densely populated valleys and coastal plains.

The combination magnifies both wind damage and compound flooding—surge blocking river outflow at the coast while torrents arrive from the hills.

What to expect over the next 24–72 hours

• First 24 hours: Search-and-rescue when winds subside; damage triage for hospitals, water systems, and main highways. Expect bridge closures and washouts in interior parishes.

• 24–48 hours: Primary road clearance between parish hubs; power restoration begins with backbone lines, followed by neighborhood circuits as access improves.

• 48–72 hours: Broader assessments of agriculture (bananas, sugar, smallholder crops) and tourism infrastructure on exposed coasts; ongoing boil-water advisories are possible where systems were inundated by saltwater or mud.

Track beyond Jamaica

After crossing the island, Melissa is expected to remain a major hurricane while aiming toward eastern Cuba and then the southeastern Bahamas/Turks and Caicos. Intensity will fluctuate with land interaction, but the storm’s size and moisture envelope mean regional impacts will be widespread well beyond the center.

Jamaica today

• The historic Category 5 landfall has begun a multi-day emergency.

• Stay sheltered until authorities issue an all-clear; the eye’s calm is deceptive.

• Avoid floodwaters, watch for landslides after dark, and conserve power/communications.

As damage reports expand with daylight and access, figures for injuries, fatalities, and losses may change. The immediate priority is safety during lingering bands and a careful, staged return to the roads once conditions truly improve.