Hurricane Melissa slams Jamaica with catastrophic winds and flooding

Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Caribbean, made landfall in Jamaica on Monday, unleashing catastrophic winds, torrential rain and widespread flooding that left communities cut off and tens of thousands without power.

The Category 5 storm roared ashore late Monday afternoon near Montego Bay with sustained winds near 280 kilometres an hour, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Its slow forward speed, less than 10 kilometres an hour, meant the island was lashed for hours by hurricane-force winds and pounding rain.

Officials confirmed that at least three people were killed when floodwaters swept through homes in St. James Parish. Several others were reported missing.

More than 800 shelters were opened across Jamaica ahead of the storm.

The slow-moving hurricane also triggered landslides in the island’s mountainous interior.

Some areas could receive up to a metre of rainfall before the system finally moves away.

Airports in Kingston and Montego Bay were closed, and all flights to and from the island were cancelled. Power and water outages were reported island-wide, and the main electricity provider said full restoration could take days once conditions improve.

Melissa intensified rapidly over the weekend, fuelled by exceptionally warm Caribbean waters running 2 to 3 degrees above normal.

The hurricane is forecast to move slowly northwest on Tuesday, crossing near or over eastern Cuba before heading toward the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is expected to remain a major hurricane through mid-week.