The category 5 storm was the strongest in Jamaica’s recorded history, coming ashore with maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour. “I don’t think any structure is designed for that wind load, especially a residential one,” says Northeastern professor Qin Jim Chen, an expert in coastal resiliency.
The National Hurricane Center also predicted 20 to 30 inches of rain in some locations and storm surges of nine to 13 feet along the south coast of Jamaica, resulting in flash flooding and landslides. Under threat are not only the lives of residents and tourists, but the infrastructure needed to sustain life—buildings, roads, power lines, communication systems, fuel supply depots, water supplies and food crops.
