Hurricane Melissa on path to historic Jamaica landfall as conditions worsen: Live updates

Jamaica experienced several power outages under hurricane conditions before Melissa made landfall, said Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s Minister for Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport.

The electricity grid managed by Jamaica Public Service (JPS), the country’s only electricity provider, “has already been impacted by hurricane conditions, which have caused several power outages across the island,” Vaz said Tuesday at a news conference.

Around 35% of JPS customers – some 240,000 people – were without power before landfall, Vaz said.

Most hospitals on the island are still receiving power, except those in the southwestern parishes of Manchester and St. Elizabeth, which are running on standby generator power, he said.

JPS crews are working on restoring power where it is safe to do so, Vaz added.