ROCHESTER, N.Y. – In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, the images from Jamaica are heartbreaking. Flash flooding, catastrophic wind damage, and powerful storm surge have left widespread destruction across large portions of the island nation.
Yet, as devastating as the damage has been, meteorologists say it could have been far worse had the category five hurricane made landfall on the eastern side of the island rather than the west. The eastern region, which includes the capital city of Kingston, is far more densely populated. While Kingston did experience strong winds and power outages, the devastation there pales in comparison to the catastrophic losses reported in the western parishes of Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth.
Residents have described those areas as utterly destroyed with the land stripped bare, trees flattened, and homes reduced to rubble. Many believed the aftermath looked like a war zone, with debris-strewn streets and entire communities cut off from communication or aid.
From a meteorological perspective, Hurricane Melissa will be remembered as a historic event. Its central pressure at landfall measured 892 millibars, tying the infamous 1935 Labor Day Hurricane for the lowest recorded pressure in Atlantic hurricane history. Its maximum sustained winds reached 185 miles per hour, matching storms such as Hurricane Dorian (2019), Wilma (2005), Gilbert (1988), and the 1935 Labor Day storm. These records span back to 1851 which is a 174-year period of Atlantic hurricane data.
Melissa ranks as the third lowest atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the Atlantic basin and tied for the strongest wind field at landfall. It also marks the first Category 5 hurricane in recorded history to strike Jamaica directly. For many Jamaicans, Melissa is already being called the island’s “storm of the century.”
First Alert Weather In-Depth: Storm of the century for Jamaica WHEC.com.
Hence then, the article about first alert weather in depth storm of the century for jamaica was published today ( ) and is available on News10NBC ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( First Alert Weather In-Depth: Storm of the century for Jamaica )
Also on site :
- Skier dies in collision with tree at Colorado’s Aspen Mountain, resort officials confirm
- Tornado warning issued, and quickly cancelled, over Alhambra
- Governor Hochul: Annual statewide donation drive is complete