After hitting Jamaica, it made landfall on the southern coast of eastern Cuba today (10/29), having previously been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest update.
The typhoon is located about 95 kilometers west-southwest of Guantanamo Bay in , accompanied by winds blowing at a maximum speed of 195 kilometers per hour, the hurricane forecasting service based in Miami in the US said.
Cuba had declared a “state of alert” in six provinces in its eastern part, while Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness described the country as a “hit zone”.
Forecasts show it will take about six hours to cross the country’s eastern coastline before heading towards the Bahamas and near Bermuda.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall at 3:10 this morning over SE Cuba with top winds of 120 mph. It did so west of Guantanamo, near the town of Chivirico.
Radar out of Cuba shows Melissa moving onshore. It is still providing plenty of strong hurricane force winds and heavy rainfall.— 7 Weather (@7Weather)
“Jamaica is ruined”
More than 530,000 have been left without power, houses and shops have been destroyed, trees have fallen. “I am currently without electricity and water. Words can’t describe it, it’s the first time we’ve seen such a destructive storm in such a short space of time,” Chevaughn Brown told Sky News.
Images from Sangster Airport in Montego Bay show a roof collapsed in the waiting room, with water flowing under the seats.
The prime minister said the country had been “devastated” by Hurricane Melissa but promised to rebuild “even better than before”. In a post on social media, Andrew Holness encouraged Jamaicans to remain optimistic.
“I know that many, especially those in the hardest hit parishes, are feeling let down. Your homes may have been damaged or destroyed, and your communities and cities may not be what they used to be. I know your pain and feel your loss. We are moving quickly to begin relief and recovery efforts and will be with you every step of the way,” he said.
photo AP/Matthias Delacroix
