• Source:JND
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Jamaica is reeling after Hurricane Melissa, now officially the world’s strongest storm of the year, barrelled across the island with catastrophic force, unleashing sustained winds of 185 mph and torrential flooding. Entire towns were submerged overnight, power was knocked out for more than half a million residents, and thousands were forced into emergency shelters as the Category 5 hurricane carved a destructive path across the country.

Montego Bay’s airport was left in ruins, with video footage showing ripped-up seating, shattered glass and sections of ceilings collapsed from the sheer wind pressure. Four hospitals sustained severe damage, including one with its roof torn completely off, while countless roads were swallowed by floodwaters. Local officials reported palm trees snapped “like toothpicks” and vehicles tossed aside by screaming gusts.

Monster Built By Hotter Oceans

Hurricane Melissa’s explosive growth stunned meteorologists. Three days before landfall, the storm underwent two rapid intensification cycles while passing over waters 2.5°F warmer than seasonal averages. Those ocean temperatures, driven higher by human-caused climate change, acted like jet fuel.

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Melissa’s winds doubled from 70 mph on Saturday morning to 140 mph within 24 hours, and then surged again to 175 mph between Sunday and Monday. By late Monday night, it intensified once more during its final approach. Veteran climatologists say such behavior is no anomaly. Rising sea-surface temperatures enable storms to reach “top-tier intensity” more frequently, and scientists at Climate Central warn that Melissa is part of a broader trend.

“This is the third Category 5 cyclone in the Atlantic this year,” noted MIT researcher Kerry Emanuel. “We are seeing an increasing proportion of tropical cyclones reaching extreme intensity.”

Scenes Of Apocalypse

As communications collapsed overnight, municipal leaders described the devastation as “apocalyptic.” Videos circulating online show roads transformed into raging rivers, mudslides swallowing hillsides, and roofing sheets flung like shrapnel into the wind. Although no fatalities have yet been confirmed, authorities have warned that the true toll remains unknown.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared Jamaica a disaster area late Tuesday, citing “devastating impacts” on homes, hospitals and businesses. Tens of thousands of tourists, including 8,000 Britons, are stranded across resort towns where emergency crews are struggling to reach damaged properties.

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