Spine-chilling visuals emerged as a US Air Force plane from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the Hurricane Hunters, flew straight into the eye of Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 monster now barreling toward Jamaica.
Jamaican officials have urged residents to move to higher ground and shelters, warning that the storm could be catastrophic.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the country must brace for “a potentially devastating impact.”
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Footage captured from inside Melissa’s eye offers a rare and breathtaking glimpse of the hurricane’s “stadium effect,” with towering walls of clouds encircling a calm center, one of the most dramatic sights ever recorded from within a storm.
Now a Category 5 system, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale, Melissa is packing sustained winds over 157 mph (250 kph).
It is expected to unleash catastrophic flooding, landslides, and widespread destruction across Jamaica when it makes landfall on Tuesday.
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Strongest hurricane in almost 200 years
Meteorologists say it could be the strongest hurricane ever to strike the island since records began in 1851.
After Jamaica, Melissa is forecast to hit eastern Cuba later on Tuesday before moving toward the Bahamas.
While the storm will not make landfall in the United States, forecasters say it could impact the Canadian Maritimes as it tracks through the Atlantic. Eastern Jamaica could see up to 30 inches of rainfall, while western Haiti may get up to 16 inches, posing extreme risks of flash floods and landslides.
Authorities have ordered mandatory evacuations from flood-prone areas and deployed buses to move residents to shelters, though many are choosing to stay behind.
More than 60,000 people evacuated in Cuba
In eastern Cuba, more than 600,000 people are being evacuated across four provinces, including Santiago de Cuba, as forecasters warn of up to 20 inches of rain and a dangerous storm surge.
The Dominican Republic remains on red alert after Melissa destroyed more than 750 homes and displaced nearly 4,000 people. Flooding has cut off at least 48 communities.
Melissa is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through November. With meteorologists predicting an above-normal season, experts warn the Caribbean could be facing one of its most destructive hurricanes in decades.
(With inputs from agencies)
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