Hurricane Melissa: Jamaica's Strongest-Ever Storm Makes Landfall

Hurricane Melissa's Landfall in Jamaica

• 🌀 Hurricane Melissa made landfall in western Jamaica on Tuesday as a category 5 storm, becoming the strongest storm to ever directly hit the Caribbean country.
• ⚡ At landfall, Melissa packed sustained winds of 185 mph, later weakening to 150 mph, still a category 4 storm.

Impact and Evacuations

• 💡 Over a third of electricity customers in Jamaica experienced power outages.
• ⚠️ The International Federation of the Red Cross estimated that up to 1.5 million people in Jamaica could be directly affected.
• ✈️ Authorities in Cuba evacuated over 500,000 people from vulnerable areas ahead of the storm's arrival.

Storm Intensity and Climate Change

• 🌡️ NHC scientists attributed Melissa's size and strength to its slow speed over unusually warm ocean water.
• 📈 Scientists warn that climate change is causing storms to intensify faster due to warming ocean waters.