Residents of the historic coastal town of Port Royal worked to secure boats and homes on Sunday, 26 October as Hurricane Melissa churned toward Jamaica, bringing fears of flooding and powerful storm surge.
Men hauled fishing boats from the marina and stacked cinder blocks atop roofs, while others fortified windows and doorways with sandbags and wooden planks.
Local police spoke with residents as they made final preparations across the low-lying area once known as the “wickedest city on Earth.”
Despite the warnings, some residents chose to stay put.
“No, I'm here every year now. I don't worry when the hurricane is coming,” said Douglas Butler, a local boat captain.
“I just take things easy. As long as I have my food, I can eat. That is the most important thing.”
Others, like born and raised resident Edgerton Brown, expressed concern about flooding but said the community’s natural reef provides some comfort.
“The water is a concern,” Brown said.
“But we have a great reef out there that protects the shore. In case there’s a surge, the reef will break that water in half.”
Authorities warned of potentially catastrophic flooding and a high storm surge as Hurricane Melissa continues to intensify into a Category 5 system for late Sunday, packing sustained winds of more than 155 miles per hour as it moves closer to Jamaica’s southern coast.
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing w...
Centre-right leader Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister on Saturday, propelled i...
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A rep...
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, day...
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has warned that France risks undermin...
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
Centre-right leader Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister on Saturday, propelled into office on promises of change after years of economic stagnation and strained ties with key allies under his predecessor Viktor Orbán.
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, days after an outbreak on a cruise ship left three people dead and several others infected.
The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, though both sides signalled they did not want escalation. The clashes come as Washington awaits Tehran’s response to a proposed deal to end the war while leaving key disputes, such as Iran’s nuclear programme, unresolved for now.
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
Singapore has isolated and is testing two of its residents who travelled aboard a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Thursday.
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
Countries worldwide sought to prevent the further spread of the hantavirus on Thursday, after an outbreak on a cruise ship, by tracking those who had disembarked before the virus was detected and anyone who had close contact with them since.
China’s leading chipmakers are funnelling unprecedented sums into research and development as Beijing accelerates efforts to reduce reliance on foreign technology amid intensifying U.S. export restrictions.
Centre-right leader Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister on Saturday, propelled into office on promises of change after years of economic stagnation and strained ties with key allies under his predecessor Viktor Orbán.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has warned that France risks undermining the self-determination rights of the Kanak Indigenous People in New Caledonia amid proposed political and constitutional reforms.
Somalia is facing a severe malnutrition crisis and urgently needs additional humanitarian funding to prevent conditions deteriorating further, the World Food Programme has warned.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to carry on as leader on Friday (8 May) after his ruling Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local elections. Labour lost hundreds of councillors across the country, as some figures in the party said he should stand down.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment