Montego Bay, Jamaica: Hurricane Melissa Slams North Coast—Airport Shut, Tourists Sheltering, Recovery Plans Underway

Wednesday, October 29 (local time varies) — Montego Bay absorbed a direct hit from Hurricane Melissa’s eyewall cycle as the historic storm crossed Jamaica, leaving widespread wind damage, flooding, and power/communications outages across St. James and neighboring parishes. With the system now edging north-northeast toward Cuba and the Bahamas, the immediate focus in Montego Bay is life safety, access, and staged re-opening of critical services.

What’s happening in Montego Bay right now

• Wind & surge: Violent gusts and battering waves pounded the north and west coasts, with pockets of coastal inundation and beach erosion. Debris—roofing material, limbs, signage—has made some roads impassable.

• Flooding: Bands trained over the interior hills and into urban low spots, producing fast-rising water and landslides on steep approaches to the city.

• Power & comms: Large sections of Montego Bay experienced prolonged outages. Cellular service and data have been intermittent; expect signal variability as backups cycle and crews triage.

Residents should remain alert for secondary hazards—downed lines, unstable trees/roofs, contaminated standing water—and heed curfews and movement restrictions until formally lifted.

Sangster International Airport (MBJ): closure status and what travelers should do

Sangster International Airport (MBJ) closed ahead of landfall and remains shut pending safety inspections. That includes runway, lighting, and terminal checks, plus staff access and airfield debris clearance. A staged reopening—when announced—typically begins with limited operations and humanitarian/relief movements before commercial schedules ramp.

If you’re flying:

• Do not go to the airport until an official reopening notice is issued.

• Rebook through your airline/app once schedules repopulate; storm-related waivers are in effect across many carriers.

• Expect rolling cancellations and delays even after MBJ reopens due to aircraft/crew repositioning and regional routing constraints.

Cruise and resort transfers remain suspended in the near term; road access and port operations will depend on debris clearance and sea conditions.

Neighborhood impacts across St. James

• Hip Strip & coastal corridors: Wind damage to façades and signage; localized surge pushed water and sand inland. Cleanup of glass and metal debris will take time.

• Suburban hills (e.g., Ironshore, Coral Gardens, Rose Hall area): Treefall and blocked lanes; slope failures possible where drainage concentrates.

• Rivermouth/low-lying zones: Standing water and contaminated runoff; avoid contact and document property conditions only when authorities deem it safe.

Safety checklist for residents and visitors

1. Stay off flooded roads. Depth and current are deceptive; a stalled vehicle quickly becomes a rescue.

2. Treat every downed wire as live. Report, mark, and keep clear.

3. Generator precautions. Operate outdoors, away from windows; never backfeed a line. Carbon monoxide is lethal.

4. Water & hygiene. Boil or use sealed bottles until water quality advisories are lifted. Wear gloves/boots in cleanup.

5. Document losses. Photos/video with timestamps help speed insurance and relief claims once connectivity stabilizes.

Services and supplies: what to expect in the next 24–72 hours

• Power restoration: Priorities are hospitals, shelters, water/wastewater, and major feeders. Residential pockets may come later; plan for multi-day outages in hard-hit blocks.

• Fuel & ATMs: Intermittent availability until deliveries resume and generators stabilize. Conserve.

• Groceries & pharmacies: Limited hours at first; bring ID, cash/card, and patience for metered entry.

• Roads: Crews will focus on clearing arterial routes to the airport, hospital, and shelters before secondary streets.

For travelers with bookings in Montego Bay

• Reconfirm everything. Hotel operations vary by damage and generator capacity; some properties will host sheltering guests but pause new arrivals.

• Flexible dates. Expect broad use of no-penalty change policies; keep all email/SMS documentation of disruptions.

• Insurance claims. File early with proof of advisories, flight statuses, and hotel notices. Maintain receipts for unexpected lodging/meals.

The meteorology: why Montego Bay was hit so hard

Melissa combined exceptional intensity with slow forward motion and a broad wind field. That recipe extended hurricane conditions for hours, allowed onshore flow to stack surge along vulnerable segments, and wrung out tropical moisture over Jamaica’s mountainous spine—sending runoff toward urban basins like Montego Bay. Even as peak winds ease with structural changes to the core, flood and landslide risks lag the wind and can escalate well after the eye departs.

What’s next

• Short term (today–tonight): Squalls and gusts continue on the backside as Melissa drifts away; avoid nonessential travel.

• 48–72 hours: Damage assessments scale up; phased restoration and airport inspections guide any reopening timeline. Sea conditions improve later, but dangerous surf and rip currents will persist.

If you are in or headed to Montego Bay, Jamaica, anchor on official local alerts for curfew updates, shelter locations, boil-water notices, and the formal MBJ airport status. Recovery will begin quickly, but safety comes first—assume conditions are hazardous until authorities state otherwise.