Windows blown in, trees uprooted and croc warnings

Hurricane Melissa is causing damage in Jamaica as the Caribbean nation faces the strongest storm in its modern history.

The category four hurricane, with wind speeds of 240 km/h, was heading towards Cuba and then the Bahamas on Tuesday evening. Previously, Melissa made landfall on the coastline of Jamaica with winds exceeding 300 kilometers per hour.

Earlier in the day, a Jamaica Meteorological Service official warned that conditions would “deteriorate significantly” and the US National Hurricane Center predicted “catastrophic winds, flash flooding and storm surges”.

Jamaican authorities have urged residents and visitors to continue sheltering in place as nearly a third of the country remains without electricity.

Photos that have emerged from Jamaica since Hurricane Melissa made landfall show downed trees and damaged homes.

“This is a catastrophic situation,” Anne-Claire Fontan, the World Meteorological Organization’s tropical cyclone expert, said at a press conference, warning that the height of the storm could reach up to four metres.

“For Jamaica, this will definitely be the storm of the century.”

Former Jamaican senator Imani Duncan-Price told the BBC that the roofs of hospitals had been ripped off.

“People are trying to save people in the middle of the storm just to save lives.”

Up to 30 inches (76 cm) of rain is expected in some areas, while some areas are already experiencing flash flooding. Approximately 70% of the island’s 2.8 million population lives within 5 km from the sea.

Wildlife is also a threat. Jamaican health officials said the flooding could drive crocodiles from their natural habitat.

“Rising water levels in rivers, streams and marshes may cause alligators to move into populated areas,” the Southeastern Regional Health Authority said in a statement.

“Residents living near these areas are therefore advised to exercise caution and avoid floodwater.”

Winston Warren, who said he lives less than 1 kilometer from the ocean, described it as “a constant roar of water”.

“Sometimes you wonder if the waves are going to crash into your house?” he said. “We saw a lot of roofs blown off.”

One woman told the BBC: “Water is coming from the roof of my house. I’m not well.”

The slow-moving storm is expected to remain strong as it passes Jamaica, whose highland communities are vulnerable to landslides and flooding.

Even before the eye of the hurricane made landfall, the region experienced extreme weather conditions and deaths. On Monday, the Jamaican government said three people died in “storm-related” incidents that included downed trees.

The storm is heading towards Santiago de Cuba, Cuba’s second largest city.

In Cuba, authorities said they evacuated nearly 500,000 people from areas vulnerable to wind and floods.

“Melissa will come with force and there are great concerns about what she might destroy next,” Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in a message published in the state newspaper Granma. he said.

Additional reporting by Brandon Drenon and Gabriela Pomeroy