When Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, the warnings were stark: destructive winds, flash floods, thousands evacuated, and islands-wide power outages. Yet amid the real danger, an unusual scene has been unfolding: some Jamaicans and tourists are treating the hurricane like a spectacle.

Videos circulating on social media show resort guests sipping cocktails in hotel lobbies as gusts swirl outside, or locals dancing in hallway corridors, exaggerating the wind as if it were a comedy sketch. At first glance, it feels tone-deaf. But there’s a psychology behind it. Partly, it’s survival instinct: when the world seems to be falling apart, laughter is a natural reflex. Partly, it’s the omnipresence of cameras every moment becomes potential content. And partly, it’s simply the human tendency to highlight the absurdity of a dangerous situation.

While the world urges ‘Pray for Jamaica,’ many locals are responding to Hurricane Melissa with humor and levity dancing in hotel hallways or sipping cocktails amid the storm. To outsiders, it may seem unserious, but for Jamaicans, laughter is part of resilience in the face of chaos. Humor in crisis doesn’t mean people aren’t taking it seriously it’s often a coping mechanism, a way to handle fear and uncertainty.

The phenomenon underscores Jamaica’s resilience. Even in chaos, people find ways to cope, often through humor. Yet the digital age complicates perception: a life-threatening event can double as entertainment for online audiences. The storm itself is brutal, but the internet seeks a punchline.

For every viral video of someone laughing in a hallway, there’s a family in the dark, hoping their roof holds. Hurricane Melissa is a reminder that humor and danger can coexist, but reality the flooding, the destruction, the lives at risk remains urgent and unforgiving.