Super Hurricane Melissa, a catastrophic Category 5 storm, struck near New Hope, St Elizabeth, on Tuesday, unleashing ferocious winds reaching up to 185 mph (295 km/h). The storm caused extensive devastation across the region, with videos capturing roofs torn from buildings, including St Elizabeth Technical High School, and debris scattered everywhere. Residents in St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, and St James were advised to stay indoors, even during the brief calm of the storm’s eye. The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported that Melissa’s central pressure of 892 millibars ties it with Hurricane Dorian (2019) and the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane as the strongest Atlantic landfalls ever recorded. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management highlighted widespread structural damage, blocked roads, and downed power lines. Emergency teams are prepared to initiate rescue and recovery operations as soon as conditions permit. Melissa is projected to move off Jamaica’s north coast later Tuesday, maintaining its extreme danger as it heads toward the Cayman Islands and southern Bahamas.