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AccuWeather

The difference in wind speeds and damage across a hurricane's path

AccuWeather · New
AccuWeather
AccuWeather
New

The difference in wind speed from the center of Hurricane Melissa in western Jamaica and the outer part of the storm in Kingston was like the difference between a Category 5 hurricane and a tropical storm.

Breakdown
  • Western Jamaica experienced Category 5 hurricane conditions as Melissa made landfall. 16s
  • Category 5 conditions caused widespread destruction, including total roof failures and collapsed walls. 35s
  • Communities faced prolonged power outages and became inaccessible and uninhabitable. 45s
  • Eastern Jamaica, including Kingston, saw only tropical storm force winds and less severe damage. 12s
  • Tropical storm conditions led to partial roof and wall failures and shorter power outages. 1m 34s
Weather