Menacing Melissa
Looming weather system threatens island with dangerous floodwaters, hurricane force winds
Published:Thursday | October 23, 2025 | 12:07 AMEdmond Campbell/Senior Staff Reporter
Principal Director of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica Evan Thompson says he is not ruling out the possibility of Tropical Storm Melissa making landfall in Jamaica.
However, Thompson argued yesterday that even if the system, which is projected to become a major hurricane south of Jamaica later this week, does not make landfall, consistent broad bands of showers flowing from the centre could result in flash flooding.
He said the system was likely to churn into a major hurricane south of Jamaica at the weekend, with a significant amount of rainfall of between eight and 12 inches affecting sections of the country.
EcoWatch, a leading online environmental news company, says that just six inches of fast-moving floodwater can knock adults off their feet, and 12 inches can sweep away cars.
With consistent amounts of rainfall over the country in recent times, Thompson said the soil is already saturated and hence flooding could occur quickly.
“The larger area of showers and thunderstorms is occurring from the right side of the centre; so as the system moves over the waters to the south, the right side of the system would be over Jamaica, so heavier rainfall is expected,” he sought to explain as he addressed a special press briefing held at Jamaica House in St Andrew yesterday to outline preparations for the storm.
According to Thompson, the consensus model is indicating that the system will move closer to Jamaica in the next few days.
He said the system is likely to become a hurricane by tomorrow, but is also likely to start impacting Jamaica today.
The country remains under a tropical storm watch, which means that the island could begin to experience tropical storm conditions in the next 48 hours.
As of 1 p.m. Jamaica time yesterday, Tropical Storm Melissa was moving slowly west at about two miles per hour. Forecasters expected Melissa to gradually turn northwest and north over the next few days, before shifting back towards the west by the weekend.
Desmond McKenzie, minister of local government and community development, said the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management has placed relief supplies in various sections of the island, and has also deployed emergency equipment and teams in areas that are prone to flooding or disasters.
He listed a few areas across the country in which there are heightened concerns as the system gets closer to Jamaica. McKenzie highlighted Rocky Point in Clarendon, Taylor Lands and New Haven in St Andrew, and Burgher Gully in Kingston.
McKenzie made a special appeal to residents of Port Royal to cooperate with the authorities if instructions are given to evacuate.
“If we are impacted by this system, it is going to be important that the community of Port Royal make arrangements when we provide the requisite transportation for them to be relocated to shelters, that they comply,” he said.
He said the ODPEM and municipal corporations are ready to respond to whatever challenges the country experiences.
At the same time, McKenzie, responding to media queries about garbage collection, said the National Solid Waste Management Authority has been working around the clock over the last two days to remove solid waste from various locations and communities.
McKenzie, however, noted that the volume of garbage and the consistent rainfall have slowed the process of disposing of garbage at the landfills which do not have fully paved roadways.
He said there is a special operation taking place across designated areas throughout the country to remove garbage.
Richard Thompson, director general of the ODPEM, said his agency has received support from a number of non-governmental organisations to roll out assistance to the less fortunate who may visit the shelters owing to the likely impact of Melissa.
He said a humanitarian committee of councils, comprising the various support groups, has made contributions that will provide food for shelters in times of disasters.
The ODPEM head said the agency also has adequate supplies of comfort items such as blankets to dispatch to shelters.
He said solar lanterns have also been acquired to assist with lighting at shelters across the country, in the event the electricity supply goes.