Hurricane Melissa a powerful and slow-moving and closing in on Jamaica, bringing with it the threat of catastrophic winds, flooding, and landslides across the island. Hurricane Melissa, upgraded early Monday to a category five storm, is forecast to make landfall in the early hours of Tuesday. The deadly system has already claimed four lives on the island of Hispaniola and could become the strongest hurricane ever recorded to strike Jamaica. Meteorologists warn that Melissa’s sluggish movement will worsen its impact, as the storm lingers over the same areas, delivering relentless rainfall and high winds. Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC), said the storm’s slow pace could result in a catastrophic event for Jamaica due to extreme rainfall and flooding potential.The Jamaican government has declared a national emergency and ordered evacuations in parts of the capital, Kingston, and other vulnerable regions. Authorities have warned residents to seek shelter immediately and avoid low-lying areas.
As of 15:00 GMT, the NHC reported that Hurricane Melissa was approximately 145 miles (233 km) southwest of Kingston, moving at a near-stationary pace of just 3 mph (6 km/h). The storm is currently packing maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and may strengthen further before landfall.Forecasters predict that destructive winds and life-threatening storm surges will strike Jamaica overnight Monday or early Tuesday. If Melissa maintains its current track, its core is expected to pass near or directly over Jamaica before crossing southeastern Cuba on Tuesday night and then the southeastern Bahamas by Wednesday.Experts say that while the storm may fluctuate slightly in strength, it will remain an “extremely powerful major hurricane” as it impacts Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas. The NHC has warned that rainfall could exceed 40 inches (100 cm) in parts of Jamaica over the coming days, posing a severe risk of flooding and landslides in mountainous and coastal regions.
Hurricane Melissa Threatens Jamaica With Deadly Winds and Torrential Rains
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Prime Minister Andrew Holness has ordered immediate evacuations of several high-risk communities and urged citizens to take all necessary precautions. In a message shared on social media, Holness encouraged Jamaicans to prepare for impact, remain indoors, and comply fully with government directives. He vowed that the country would “weather the storm and rebuild stronger.”Emergency officials have deployed buses to transport vulnerable residents to designated shelters, while toll booths have been opened to prevent traffic congestion as people evacuate. Meanwhile, in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, at least four people have died and hundreds of homes have been flooded following torrential rainfall linked to Hurricane Melissa. In Santo Domingo, local media reported that a 79-year-old man was swept away by floodwaters, while a 13-year-old boy remains missing after being dragged out to sea by strong currents.As Jamaica braces for impact, forecasters warn that Hurricane Melissa could cause “unprecedented damage” if it continues on its projected path.
Source: BBC
