Hurricane Melissa is smashing into Jamaica as we speak with pure devastation. Sustained winds are 180-185 miles per hour with 220+ miles per hour gusts in the eyewall. Southern Jamaica is about to be devastated. It is now the 5th most-intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and is making landfall at the same strength that Hurricane Dorian did in the Bahamas in 2019.
Noah Bergren:
HORRIBLE: WORST CASE scenario is unfolding. Really, I am near a loss of words. “Last chance to protect your life at all costs” is the words from the NHC. Melissa is about to make landfall at its strongest intensity. A humanitarian disaster is about to unfold. The hurricane hunters detected 252 MPH gusts 300 feet off the ocean surface. 185 MPH max sustained winds and 220+ MPH gusts in the eyewall about to obliterate Black River area.
https://twitter.com/NbergWX/status/1983191842943291625
Matthew Cappucci:
“LAST CHANCE TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE.”
I’ve never seen the National Hurricane Center say this.
Melissa is now the 5th most-intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, making landfall at the same strength that Dorian did in the Bahamas. 2.8 million lives will change in moments.
https://twitter.com/MatthewCappucci/status/1983181340460843205
Experts say this storm is similar to a Pacific typhoon.
Bergren:
Just leaves a pit in your stomach looking at this as a forecaster and meteorologist.
The narrow corridor of wind around the eyewall is going to be beyond extreme wind and weather impact.
Similar to western Pacific Ocean-based typhoons, it appears the mountains are “bouncing” or influencing Melissa as it nears, nudging it unexpectedly back NW before landfall. IF this continued, more highly populated Montego Bay could take the catastrophic eyewall once it crosses the island this afternoon.
https://twitter.com/NbergWX/status/1983195918267474349
Hurricane Hunters reportedly had to abort mission after experiencing extremely severe turbulence in the eyewall.
https://twitter.com/MyRadarWX/status/1983199401490477503
The most powerful Atlantic hurricane of 2025 has plowed into Jamaica after days of unleashing heavy rain, strong winds and pounding surf across the Caribbean. The Category 5 storm was at peak strength when it roared ashore on Tuesday.
Melissa made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, at 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. It was the first time an Atlantic storm made landfall as a Category 5 since Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
At least seven fatalities have already been reported across the Caribbean due to the monstrous hurricane, which has been slowly tracking near Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica for days. The death toll is likely to rise as Melissa sweeps across Jamaica, eastern Cuba and the Bahamas.
“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said, according to The Associated Press. “The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.”
John Mclcoy:
🚨🔥 Hurricane Melissa Jamaica Landfall “THERE GONNA BE COMPLETE DEVASTATION OF STRUCTURES..THEY ARE NOT GONNA EXIST ANYMORE” – CNN
The last time Jamaica was hit with a storm like this was 1988 and it was Gilbert and that was a Cat 4. 100,000 homes were destroyed.. 20% of the population was homeless…THISBIS A CATEGORY 5 with 185 MPH gusts.
Between all the mountains , flash floods & landslides this is going to absolutely turn into a nightmare for these people. They don’t have the infrastructure and emergency response to handle things like we can in the United States.
These people are gonna need every prayer we can muster. Their lives are about to change forever for generations.
https://twitter.com/JohnMcCloy/status/1983194024996450576
The human impact will be devastating. Pray for the people.
https://twitter.com/BreeSolstad/status/1983018957272383631
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