Hurricane Melissa Intensifies to Category 4, Poses Severe Threat to Jamaica
Hurricane Melissa has strengthened to a Category 4 storm, with forecasts indicating further intensification as it approaches Jamaica, potentially reaching Category 5 status.
Hurricane Melissa has intensified into a Category 4 storm as it moves northwest through the Caribbean Sea. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports that maximum sustained winds have rapidly increased to near 140 mph (220 km/h), with higher gusts. Continued rapid intensification is expected through tonight, followed by fluctuations in intensity.
A Hurricane Warning is currently in effect for Jamaica, indicating that hurricane conditions are expected. A Hurricane Watch is in place for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti and southeastern regions of Cuba, meaning that hurricane conditions are possible.
Melissa is projected to make landfall in Jamaica on Monday night or Tuesday morning as a major hurricane, and in southeastern Cuba late Tuesday. The NHC warns of extensive infrastructural damage, long-duration power and communication outages, and isolation of communities in Jamaica and southwestern Haiti.
The storm is forecast to bring between 15 and 30 inches of rain to parts of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica into Wednesday, with up to 40 inches possible in some areas. Catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are probable across portions of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica. Eastern Cuba is expected to receive between 6 and 18 inches of rainfall, potentially causing dangerous flash flooding and landslides.
Dangerous storm surge, surf, and rip currents are also anticipated. The NHC warns that the southern coast of Jamaica could experience life-threatening storm surge from late Monday through Tuesday morning, peaking between 9 and 13 feet above ground level.
Melissa could progress to a Category 5 storm, with sustained winds up to 160 mph, before making landfall. If it reaches this intensity, it would be the strongest hurricane to impact Jamaica in more than 35 years, since the Category 4 Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
Residents in the affected areas are urged to complete preparations and heed local authorities' instructions as the storm approaches.
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