Mexico, Oct 29, City (dpa/GNA) – Around 6,000 people in Jamaica were seeking refuge in 382 emergency shelters, as Hurricane Melissa, an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm, struck the south-west of the island on Tuesday, authorities said.
Despite official warnings, Desmond McKenzie, a local government minister, worries that shelter use remains low in high-risk areas such as Saint Elizabeth Parish in the south.
The government expects more than 50,000 people may need to temporarily leave their homes, due to storm damage.
Melissa made landfall with sustained winds of 295 kilometers per hour, making it one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic.
GNA