Hurricane Melissa, now labeled a “Category 4” storm, is now intensifying into a “Category 5” storm, prompting urgent warnings from US forecasters that it could be “potentially catastrophic” for Jamaica as it risks becoming one of the strongest storms ever to hit the island.
Under these threatening conditions, officials are urging residents to evacuate low-lying areas as the hurricane is estimated to unleash “unprecedented” rain.
As confirmed by authorities, Melissa could bring about 30 inches or more of rainfall in isolated areas in the coming days.
Right now, Hurricane Melissa was located about 124 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica. With sustained winds of 145 mph and moving west at just 5 mph, the storm is expected to strengthen further and could become a Category 5 hurricane.
The director of the US National Hurricane Center, Jamie Rhome, warned that the region’s forecast has become “increasingly severe.”
He emphasized the storm’s intensity, warning that Melissa’s combination of slow-moving storm and extreme rainfall will “create catastrophic events” for Jamaica.
“Wherever you need to be, be ready to ride this out for days,” Rhome urged residents of eastern Jamaica.
He also warned of widespread power outages, disrupted communications and impassable roads.
The projected path of the storm suggests that the center of Melissa will move very close to or directly over Jamaica through Tuesday, October 28, possibly making landfall as a “top” Category 4 hurricane.
If it happens, it would be only the second Category 4 storm to hit Jamaica in recorded history, after the devastating Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
The new threat has prompted extensive preparations throughout the Caribbean:
Jamaica
Airports have been closed and the government has issued evacuation orders for high-risk communities. Residents are stocking up on supplies, crowding supermarkets and gas stations, creating a “level of panic,” as reported by Norman Scott, the mayor of Spanish Town.
Haiti and the Dominican Republic
There are catastrophic floods and landslides in the region. Authorities in Haiti reported at least three storm-related deaths, and at least one death was reported in the Dominican Republic.
Cuba
A hurricane watch was upgraded to a warning for the eastern part of the country. The US Navy has begun evacuating hundreds of non-essential personnel and family members from the Guantánamo Bay naval base.
Bahamas
The storm is expected to hit the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday, October 29.
Melissa’s intensification has been explosive. With the storm expected to approach the island’s coast within 24 hours, officials are issuing a final, stark warning to residents to protect their lives.
