Hurricane Melissa Category 5 Storm Set to Make Landfall in Jamaica

Jamaica is on high alert as Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, is expected to make landfall early Tuesday morning. Authorities warn that it could be the most destructive storm ever to strike the island.

Forecasters predict “catastrophic” flooding, landslides, and severe structural damage across several parishes. The Red Cross has warned that as many as 1.5 million people could be directly affected by the hurricane’s impact.

Melissa is projected to enter near St Elizabeth parish in southern Jamaica before moving northward and exiting around St Ann.

The storm has already claimed seven lives across the Caribbean — three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic. Another person remains missing in the Dominican Republic as emergency teams race to respond.

Residents are being urged to seek shelter, secure property, and avoid coastal areas as the hurricane approaches.