Terrifying moment: Torrent of water floods street as Hurricane Melissa hits Jamaica and locals say ‘beware of crocodiles’

In the jaw-dropping footage, biblical rain is seen lashing the streets as muddy water floods the neighborhood.

Trees are also seen on their last legs as fierce winds tear them from the ground.

Melissa has unleashed catastrophic flooding, widespread storm surge, and 185 mph winds in her path of destruction.

Cubans are told to be careful around crocodiles, as these scaly beasts leave their natural habitats in search of dry land.

‘COVER YOURSELF NOW’

‘Last chance to save yourself,’ officials say as Storm Melissa hits Jamaica

INCREDIBLY STILL

Chilling calm as storm chasers fly into eye of Hurricane Melissa at 175 mph

It comes after tourists and locals barricaded themselves indoors as widespread internet outages caused chaos.

What we know so far…

Extensive damage to hospitals, roads and schools has been reported, while many homes are “flooded and inundated”.

Destructive landslides were also expected in parts of the region as rescuers endured the devastation.

Jamaica’s strongest hurricane history – and almost the most powerful storm ever recorded – made landfall at 1:00 pm local time near New Hope.

It has since been downgraded to a Category Three storm by the U.S. National Hurricane Center and is sustaining 125 mph winds as it heads toward Cuba.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told CNN that the hurricane would cause “catastrophic damage.”

He said: “There is no infrastructure in this region, or perhaps anywhere in the world, that can withstand a category five hurricane without some level of damage.

“I’m praying for those residents, we’ve been preparing and we’ve been praying for the best.”

The Red Cross is on guard to help up to 1.5 million people as concerns grow over people’s safety and access to vital supplies.

The slow monster passed through Jamaica at just 9 mph.

Melissa is one of the most severe Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded and has hit Jamaica with the strongest landfall in history, with winds of 185 mph.

This record is tied with the Labor Day hurricane in the US in 1935 and Hurricane Dorian, which hit the Bahamas in 2019.

Before the storm made landfall, 240,000 residents were already without power due to the brutal weather conditions, officials said.

Three people died during preparations for the historic storm in Jamaica: two died from falling trees and the other died from electrocution.

It comes as the National Hurricane Center issued a warning at 11 a.m. local time.

It read: “THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE-DANGEROUS SITUATION! COVER YOURSELF NOW!”

Thousands of Britons, including stranded tourists, have been trapped on the island.

Among them is British mother Michaela Menezes, who took refuge in a hotel with her two children.

Before the storm hit the island, Michaela said: “We hope we get crushed,” as she took The Sun on a video tour of her safe room as the storm approached.

He family She put the beds together so the children could be close to their mother.

They said they would retreat to the bathroom if the windows blew out.

His hotel has generators and water tanks to keep the facilities powered, but it is unknown how well they will hold up.

Michaela said: “We haven’t felt all its wrath yet, but the wind speed is very high and the rain is pouring down.

“We have been hit for the last six hours, but that is nothing compared to the level of force we will soon feel.”

WEATHER THE STORM

Earlier today, Brits took to social media or messaged home to share their thoughts.

One said she was “really scared” and “praying for all of Jamaica,” while another said the entire island was feeling “anxious” as they waited for the storm to hit.

Videos were also released of hotels and resorts battening down the hatches in anticipation of the fierce winds.

Rebecca Chapman said bbc Radio 4 this morning that “she doesn’t feel safe” as she struggled to take refuge with her children just 30 minutes from Montego Bay.

She said: “It never seemed like a Caribbean sea, it seems very dark and angry, it is very premonitory, there is a strange thud coming from the horizon, it is sinister, disturbing, strange.”

British tourist Andrew Tracey he told Sky News They locked him in a hotel along with about 200 other British people.

He said: “The tension in the hotel last night when we went for dinner was definitely nervous, even among the locals.”

Another Briton, Wayne Gibson, is staying in a hotel on the north coast with his wife and two daughters.

He told the BBC: “My daughters have now become angry because they are starting to get scared because we have packed all our luggage.

“So now it’s starting to get a little real, and I think the chaotic side is starting to come out.”

The Foreign Office has created a crisis center ready to help the British on the Caribbean island and in the Royal Navy The ship HMS Trent is already in the region on standby.

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Jamaican authorities have ordered locals to seek higher ground and have issued a series of mandatory evacuation notices.

The government closed all airports until further notice, opened emergency shelters and put hospitals on emergency mode.