The extremely violent Category 5 system was still crawling across the Caribbean, promising catastrophic floods and life-threatening conditions as maximum sustained winds reached a staggering 185 miles per hour (295 kilometers per hour).
“This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation!” warned the US National Hurricane Center, urging residents to stay sheltered and as far from windows as possible, including during the brief calm offered by the storm’s eye.
Melissa’s sustained wind speed was even more potent than most of recent history’s big storms, including 2005’s Katrina, which ravaged the US city of New Orleans.
“For Jamaica it will be the storm of the century so far,” said Anne-Claire Fontan of the World Meteorological Organization.
Seven deaths — three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic — have already been blamed on the deteriorating conditions, but officials were concerned that many people were ignoring pleas to get to safety.
“Jamaica this is not the time to be brave,” local government minister Desmond McKenzie told a briefing.
He lamented that many of the country’s approximately 880 shelters were still in large part empty.
Surges in seawater combined with rainfall — which will likely be measured in feet, not inches — could trigger deadly floods and landslides.
“Keep Safe Jamaica,” posted Olympian sprinter Usain Bolt, one of Jamaica’s most famous figures, on X.
Ishack Wilmot, who was hunkered down with family in Kingston, told AFP they were safe and dry for now but had lost electricity and water overnight.
“The winds are up and gusting,” he said. “Even though we are away from the eye, it’s still really intense and loud.”
The Jamaican Red Cross, which was distributing drinking water and hygiene kits ahead of infrastructure disruptions, said Melissa’s “slow nature” made the anxiety worse.