Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm, is bearing down on Jamaica and could become the most destructive hurricane the island has ever recorded. With winds reaching 175 miles per hour and forecasts of torrential rain and life-threatening flooding, officials have urged the country’s 2.8 million residents to comply with evacuation orders.
Despite the warnings, many Jamaicans are choosing to stay put. “Jamaicans on the whole aren’t the type of people who would just get up and leave their home,” said Jamal Peters, a hotel front manager in Port Royal. His waterfront hotel has moved guests to higher floors, secured boats, trimmed trees, and reinforced windows in preparation.
The storm has drawn comparisons to 1988’s Hurricane Gilbert, which killed more than 40 people in Jamaica and hundreds across the Caribbean and Mexico. Still, some residents remain defiant. Roy Brown, a plumber and tiler, dismissed evacuation calls. “Even if it’s Category 6, I am not moving. I don’t believe I can run from death,” he said, echoing concerns about poor conditions in government shelters.
Others, like fisherwoman Jennifer Ramdial, voiced similar resistance, saying simply, “I just don’t want to leave.”
While some residents prepare to ride out the storm at home by trimming trees, boarding up windows, and securing vehicles, national icons like Olympian Usain Bolt have been amplifying government safety messages to millions of followers online.
Preparations extend beyond households. Zoos across the island have been securing animals, conducting early feedings, and bracing for power and communication outages. “Although we’re staring down the loaded barrel of this nasty Category 5, we will see you all on the other side,” wrote Joey Brown of Hope Zoo in a Facebook post.
As Melissa closes in, Jamaica faces a tense wait, balancing resilience with the looming threat of one of the strongest storms in its history.
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