The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a dire warning as Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 system with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h), bears down on Jamaica, threatening catastrophic winds, flooding, and storm surge tonight and into early Tuesday.
At 11 a.m. Monday, Melissa was centered near latitude 16.4°N, longitude 78.2°W — about 145 miles southwest of Kingston — moving west at 3 mph (6 km/h). The hurricane is expected to curve north later today, crossing Jamaica tonight before striking southeastern Cuba on Tuesday night and the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.
Forecasters warned that total structural failure is likely within the eyewall, particularly in mountainous regions where winds could be 30 percent stronger. Tropical-storm conditions are already sweeping Jamaica, with hurricane-force winds expected to intensify overnight.
Rainfall of 15 to 30 inches, with isolated amounts up to 40 inches, is forecast, likely causing catastrophic flash flooding and landslides. The island’s southern coast faces a life-threatening storm surge of 9 to 13 feet and large, destructive waves.
Eastern Cuba is expected to receive 15 to 20 inches of rain and hurricane-force winds by Tuesday evening, with warnings in effect for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Holguín provinces. The southeastern and central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands remain under a Hurricane Watch, where surges of 4 to 6 feet are possible by Wednesday.
Melissa’s central pressure has plummeted to 908 millibars (26.82 inches), making it one of the most intense storms ever recorded in the Caribbean. The NHC said while minor fluctuations in strength may occur, Melissa will remain “an extremely powerful major hurricane” as it passes over Jamaica and eastern Cuba.
Authorities are urging all residents to complete final preparations immediately. “Conditions will rapidly deteriorate tonight; anyone in coastal or low-lying areas should move to higher ground now,” the NHC warned.
