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.

WATCH: Deteriorating conditions in Treasure Beach, Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa moves onshorepic.twitter.com/qFDrgmwaNC

— BNO News Live (@BNODesk) October 28, 2025

The post shares a 72-second video of intensifying storm conditions in Treasure Beach, Jamaica, showing heavy rain, gale-force winds bending palm trees, and massive waves crashing ashore as Hurricane Melissa's eyewall nears.

Melissa, a rare Category 5 hurricane with 180 mph winds—nearly matching the Atlantic record—formed October 21 and intensified rapidly due to warm Caribbean waters, marking Jamaica's worst storm threat since 1988's Gilbert.

Early reports indicate over 500,000 evacuations and potential for 70+ cm of rain causing flash floods; peer-reviewed studies link such rapid intensification to ocean warming, increasing frequency by 5-10% per decade since 1980.