Watch a video of the eye of Hurricane Melissa
Photo credit: Twitter
Hurricane Melissa is barreling toward Jamaica with terrifying strength. A rare video taken from inside the storm's eye shows an eerie calm surrounded by towering walls of clouds.
Meteorologist Jeremy DeHart captured the moment during a Teal 74 reconnaissance flight, describing it as «as clear of an eye as you will see in the Atlantic basin.
» Winds have reached a staggering 175 mph, placing Melissa solidly in Category 5 territory.
Inside the eye, skies appear crystal blue, but beyond it lies chaos. The storm is expected to make landfall Tuesday morning, and Jamaica is already on high alert.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has issued a stark warning, saying, «there is no infrastructure in this region that could withstand» a hurricane of this magnitude. Evacuations are underway across the island.
Melissa's power and Jamaica's desperate preparation collide
Emergency shelters are packed as residents seek safety. Flights have been grounded, and electricity companies are preparing for widespread blackouts once the outer bands hit.
The National Hurricane Center reports that rainfall could exceed 40 inches in some areas, triggering flash floods and landslides across the island's hilly terrain.
In Kingston, streets are nearly empty as residents board up windows and secure what they can.
Supermarkets are running low on essentials, with bottled water and batteries sold out by midday.
After Jamaica, Melissa is forecast to pass near Cuba and the Bahamas before losing strength over the Atlantic later this week.
Meteorologists warn, however, that the storm could regain power if it moves over warm waters again.
Climate experts say the storm's explosive growth is another warning sign of ocean warming in the Caribbean.
Melissa intensified from Category 2 to Category 5 in less than 24 hours - a record-breaking leap.
In Miami, hurricane trackers have compared Melissa to 1988's Hurricane Gilbert, one of the most destructive storms to ever strike Jamaica.
Aid agencies are already preparing relief plans in anticipation of widespread damage.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 27 | 3 ANSWERS Watch a video of the eye of Hurricane Melissa Do you think Jamaica can withstand Hurricane Melissa's impact? | ||
| YES | 1 | 33.3 % |
| No | 1 | 33.3 % |
| Not ready | 1 | 33.3 % |
| 0 | 0 % | |
| List of polls | ||
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