The clip, shared by Ground Force Humanitarian Aid shows biblical winds battering a coastal community with cars and homes being swallowed by floodwaters – with the group asking viewers to “pray”
Terrifying new footage shows the incredible force of Hurricane Melissa[1] as biblical winds battered thousands of homes in Jamaica.
The clip, shared by Ground Force Humanitarian Aid on Facebook[2], has been viewed more than 911,000 times as the world[3] watches one of the most powerful storms in history strike the island.
Ferocious winds can be seen bettering a coastal community[4] in the video with hurricane gales tearing through streets and hurling debris through the air.
The video shows cars and homes being swallowed by floodwaters as locals wade through chest-deep storm surges while the hurricane continues to rage.
Jamaica has been declared a disaster zone by authorities in the wake of the catastrophic weather[5], with emergency crews battling to reach those trapped by the floods.
READ MORE: Schoolboy, 10, engulfed in flames after waitress pours liquid fuel into fire pit[6]READ MORE: Newham baby death: Two arrests as girl, 1, dies after ‘chemical smell’ in flat[7]
The clip was shared on Tuesday, alongside a chilling message from the aid group that read: “We are shipping our SAFE Camp equipment over to establish a safe place for teams to organise and work from.
“Say a prayer for safety as we go into the unknown.”
Hurricane Melissa swept in from the Atlantic at 185mph on Monday, killing at least seven people, flattening homes, leaving communities cut off and sparking widespread flooding.
Dubbed the “storm of the century”, it was just 5mph short of the strongest ever recorded over that ocean.
Ahead of it making landfall, the Jamaican government ordered evacuations from high-risk areas and closed all airports, pleading with people to take shelter.
The US National Hurricane Center warned the winds at the eye were strong enough to cause “total structural failure”.
Streets in the capital, Kingston – though outside the direct path of the hurricane – were eerily deserted as torrential rain lashed the city and debris flew through the air. Across the island, terrified residents huddled in churches, schools and community shelters.
But despite repeated evacuation orders, officials fear thousands have ignored warnings.
And forecasters warn Melissa – the most powerful storm in the nation’s history – could be even more destructive as it smashes into Cuba today. In Cuba, nearly 900,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate from eastern provinces. The US Navy has withdrawn about 1,000 non-essential personnel from its Guantanamo Bay base on the east of the island and moved eight warships out of the hurricane’s path.
The United Nations World Food Programme has positioned 450 metric tons of emergency food supplies in neighbouring Haiti, but officials admit it is only a fraction of what would normally be needed.
References
- ^ Hurricane Melissa (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Facebook (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ world (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ coastal community (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ weather (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Schoolboy, 10, engulfed in flames after waitress pours liquid fuel into fire pit (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Newham baby death: Two arrests as girl, 1, dies after ‘chemical smell’ in flat (www.mirror.co.uk)