St. Elizabeth Parish, southwestern Jamaica, is the first to be struck by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa. Winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) are tearing through the area, causing severe flooding and destruction.

 

Hurricane Melissa category 5 - the strongest storm to strike Jamaica in 174 years .

Look at these devastating video coming from all over Jamaica. pic.twitter.com/M2US6QmYBQ

— Irlandarra (@aldamu_jo) October 29, 2025

The post shares a 1-minute video compilation of Hurricane Melissa's landfall effects in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 28, 2025, depicting heavy flooding, downed trees, torn roofs, and submerged vehicles amid torrential rain and gusts.

As a Category 5 storm with peak winds of 175 mph, Melissa marks Jamaica's strongest recorded landfall, eclipsing Hurricane Gilbert (1988) and causing over 300,000 power outages, three deaths, and widespread evacuations per Reuters and BBC reports.

The claim of it being the strongest in 174 years appears overstated; historical data from Wikipedia confirms it's the most intense on record since systematic tracking began in the 1850s, while a reply alludes to unverified "smart city" redevelopment conspiracies.