Filipinos in Jamaica endure onslaught of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa

NEW YORK — Category 5 Hurricane Melissa has made landfall in Jamaica — the strongest hurricane ever to strike the island, where around 300 Filipinos live and work.

Before the storm made landfall, GMA Integrated News spoke with Mimi Ignacio, who has lived in Kingston, Jamaica, for 30 years.

According to her, this is the most powerful hurricane her family has experienced since settling in Kingston. They have stocked up on food supplies expected to last several weeks and are preparing for power outages and possible communication blackouts.

“For now, we’ve prepared food that’s good enough for a couple of weeks. Those living in low-lying areas have been moved to shelters — there are many shelters here. I think over 800 shelters have been prepared, so the government is very active,” she said.

Ignacio said Philippine Honorary Consul Keith Russel has also offered his home to Filipinos who may be affected by the hurricane.

“Actually, our honorary consul called me yesterday and asked me to tell everybody that he’s opening his home to Filipinos who need shelter,” she added.

Most Filipinos in Jamaica reportedly work in hotels, and many of them reside in Kingston.

“I think they are safe because they work in hotels, and the majority of Filipinos are in Kingston,” she noted.

Meanwhile, Chef Alvin Miraflores, who lives in Freeport, Montego Bay — an area directly hit by the eye of Hurricane Melissa — said they have lost electricity and that conditions there remain difficult.

He said they have been unable to leave their villa, where he is staying with three other Filipino resort employees.

In videos sent by Miraflores to GMA Integrated News before Hurricane Melissa passed through Montego Bay, trees can be seen violently swaying amid powerful winds.

The Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. is closely monitoring the situation of Filipinos in affected areas. So far, there have been no report of Filipino casualties or injuries in Jamaica.

Melissa made landfall near the town of New Hope, some 62 km (39 miles) south of Montego Bay, packing maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph) early Tuesday afternoon (Kingston time).

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued an urgent tropical cyclone update as Hurricane Melissa, now a powerful Category 4 storm, continues to batter Jamaica with catastrophic winds, flash flooding, and storm surge.

As of 4:00 p.m. EDT, Melissa remained over northwestern Jamaica, unleashing devastating gusts and torrential rain across the island. The NHC described the situation as “extremely dangerous and life-threatening,” urging residents to remain indoors and avoid any attempts to leave their shelters.

Authorities warned that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning zones. Residents in Jamaica are urged to remain in safe shelters until the storm passes. In Cuba, people living in the warning area are advised to seek secure shelter, while in the Bahamas, preparations to protect life and property should be completed later tonight.

Melissa, described by forecasters as an “extremely dangerous” storm, is bringing catastrophic winds, torrential rain, and life-threatening storm surges across the region.—AOL, GMA Integrated News