Montego Bay, Jamaica’s vibrant tourism capital, is waking up to an unsettling reality. The skies may still be blue for some, but the threat on the horizon is all too real. Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 monster, is rapidly approaching the island. For a place like Montego Bay, known for its lively beachfront resorts, stunning reefs, and its crucial international airport, the implications are serious. This storm is not just another strong tropical system. It carries the potential to redefine how this city remembers hurricanes.
This post dives deep into what makes Montego Bay vulnerable during a storm like Melissa, what local geography and infrastructure mean in this kind of setup, and what residents and travelers need to be aware of. Whether you live in the heart of downtown, work along the coast, or are visiting one of the city’s many beachfront hotels, it’s time to understand what’s coming and act with urgency.
Why Montego Bay is especially at risk
Montego Bay’s beauty is its blessing and its curse. This coastal city wraps around a shallow bay lined with hotels, cruise terminals, shops, and entertainment venues. Behind it, the land climbs steeply into the hills. It’s this exact layout that makes it so picturesque for vacationers, but dangerously exposed during extreme weather events like Hurricane Melissa.
The shoreline sits just a few feet above sea level. Sangster International Airport, one of the busiest in the Caribbean, has an elevation of around four feet. Hotels and infrastructure on the waterfront have little protection if storm surge climbs above typical high tide levels. Right now, forecasts are calling for storm surge of up to 13 feet in parts of Jamaica. For Montego Bay, even half of that number would be disastrous.
What’s more, the city’s drainage system depends on engineered gullies like the North and South gullies. These channels move rainwater quickly from the hills through town into the bay. During regular rain, they help keep the city safe. But during a hurricane with Melissa’s strength, those gullies can become raging rivers. They have overflowed before. In 2017, heavy rain caused flash flooding in Montego Bay, submerging roads and damaging buildings. That was without a Category 5 hurricane.
If Melissa’s slow movement continues, rainfall could pile up fast. Some models show up to 30 or even 40 inches of rain in the mountainous areas above the bay. That water will need somewhere to go. It will flow downhill quickly, filling every drainage channel, riverbed, and low spot along the way. Combine that with possible blocked gullies from debris, and you’ve got a recipe for flash floods in areas like downtown, Cornwall Courts, and Green Pond.
What Hurricane Melissa brings to the table
Hurricane Melissa is now classified as a Category 5. That means sustained winds of over 157 mph. But the damage isn’t just about the wind. It’s about the combination of storm surge, rain, and wind all hitting the same area at once.
Storm surge could push seawater inland, especially around the airport and the tourist strip. Strong onshore winds will push waves into the bay. Hotels and buildings close to the water could face saltwater flooding, damage to ground-floor infrastructure, and beach erosion. Even if the core of the storm passes slightly east or west of Montego Bay, the city’s location on the northern coastline means it could still experience the dangerous northeast quadrant of the storm where winds and surge are strongest.
Rainfall is the next big threat. With slow forward motion, Melissa is expected to sit over the island for hours. That allows the hurricane to dump a staggering amount of water onto steep terrain. Rain falling in the mountains will flow down into Montego Bay’s gullies at speed, which could overwhelm the city’s capacity to move water out safely. Streets could become rivers. Cars could float. Trees could come down in the wind, blocking roads and damaging buildings.
Then there’s the wind. A Category 5 system tears roofs off, snaps utility poles, and flattens weaker buildings. Even areas not directly in the eye could face gusts strong enough to knock out power for days or weeks. For travelers, power cuts at resorts, airports, or hospitals are more than an inconvenience. They are a serious safety concern.
How Montego Bay is preparing and what you should do
Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has issued warnings across the island. Shelters are opening in every parish. In St. James, where Montego Bay is located, schools like Barracks Road Primary and Cornwall College are being used as emergency shelters. The advice is simple. If you live in a flood-prone area, especially anywhere near the coast or a gully, leave now. Don’t wait for the rain to start or for the wind to pick up. Move to higher, sturdier ground.
If you are in a hotel, ask the staff about storm plans. Most resorts have shelter-in-place protocols, but not all buildings are rated for a Category 5 system. Some may move guests to interior rooms. Others may evacuate entirely if there’s time. Find out what your resort plans to do, and don’t hesitate to make your own decisions if the plan doesn’t feel safe.
Flights are already being canceled. MBJ, Montego Bay’s airport, will likely shut operations as soon as winds exceed safe limits or if the runways begin to flood. Airlines will not resume flights until it’s safe to do so. If you’re a traveler trying to leave, time may already be running out. If you’re stuck in the city, brace for a long few days. Make sure you have food, clean water, and a safe place to ride out the storm.
Power loss is expected. Prepare now. Charge phones and backup batteries. Fill water containers. Check flashlights. Avoid candles. If you rely on medical equipment that needs electricity, make arrangements now for alternative power or transfer to a shelter with backup.
Stay connected to official updates from Jamaica’s Met Service, ODPEM, and trusted news sources like the Weather Channel. Don’t rely on social media rumors. This storm is too dangerous to gamble with.
Montego Bay’s moment of truth
Montego Bay is no stranger to tropical storms. Locals have seen their fair share. But Hurricane Melissa may be the strongest system to ever threaten Jamaica directly. For a city with such a delicate balance of low land, steep hills, and high-density tourism infrastructure, this storm will test every system in place.
Whether you’re a resident who knows every corner of Barnett Street or a tourist seeing the island for the first time, the message is the same. Take this seriously. Montego Bay is resilient. But resilience starts with survival.
Stay safe, stay dry, and stay informed.
