In the north coast parish of St Ann, almost all residents are without power — and many of them woke up without a roof over their heads after Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica, downing trees, utility poles and anything else in its path.
Fisherman George “Larry” Brown of the community of Priory said that the morning was quiet on the day of the storm.
“Just a little rain,” the 68-year-old said.
Photo: AFP
However, by 5pm on Tuesday, the rain and wind gusts grew heavy and soon his roof peeled away, he said.
“I just heard a sound, and it just started to tear off,” Brown said.
He described Melissa as the worst storm he has ever experienced.
Photo: Satellite image 2025 Vantor / Handout via Reuters
Hurricane Melissa smashed into Jamaica as a ferocious top-level storm, with sustained winds peaking at 298kph while drenching the Caribbean nation with torrential rain.
“Gilbert is no match to this,” Brown said, referring to the 1988 hurricane referred to by many Jamaicans as a benchmark for devastation.
Hurricane Melissa tied the 1935 record for the most intense storm ever to make landfall, according to an analysis of meteorological data by Agence France-Presse — on a par with a hurricane that devastated the Florida Keys 90 years ago.
Brown’s neighbor Kayan Davis, a mother of three who said her roof lifted off sometime after 11pm, said she has been left temporarily homeless.
“I have no where to sleep... I am going to have to contact the authorities,” Davis said.
Marvin Thomas, another resident of Priory, suffered the same fate when a tree fell on his home at about 8pm.
“The tree dropped ... and the housetop started to demolish,” he said. “I had to run out and go to a friend’s home.”
The hurricane also brought extensive damage to infrastructure across Trelawny, including William Knibb High School, the alma mater of legendary Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, Trelawny Police Chief Velonique Campbell said.
Campbell and a team of 30 officers were seen with machetes and chainsaws clearing blocked roadways across the parish.
“We noticed that quite a few trees have been displaced in the main road and we wanted to ensure that the main road is kept clear as there will be aid and other supplies coming in,” Campbell said.
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