Additional Coverage:
Hurricane Melissa Intensifies, Threatening “Catastrophic” Impact on Caribbean
KINGSTON, JAMAICA – Hurricane Melissa rapidly strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm on Sunday, prompting urgent warnings of “life-threatening and catastrophic” flash flooding and landslides across the northern Caribbean. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) indicates the storm could intensify further to a Category 5, posing an unprecedented threat to Jamaica and Haiti.
Jamaica is bracing for Melissa’s arrival as a major hurricane late Monday or early Tuesday morning. Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged residents to take immediate shelter, stating, “I urge Jamaicans to take this weather threat seriously.
Take all measures to protect yourself.” Meteorologist Andrew Kozak of CBS News Philadelphia noted that Melissa could be the most powerful hurricane to ever hit the island.
Forecasters project torrential rainfall, with Jamaica and southern Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) potentially receiving up to 30 inches, and some isolated areas seeing as much as 40 inches. The NHC also warned of extensive infrastructure damage, widespread power and communication outages, and the isolation of communities in Jamaica.
After impacting Jamaica, Melissa is expected to approach Cuba by late Tuesday, bringing up to 12 inches of rain, before moving towards the Bahamas on Wednesday. In response, the Cuban government issued a hurricane watch for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, and Holguin on Saturday afternoon.
Fatalities Reported on Hispaniola
The slow-moving and erratic storm has already claimed at least four lives: three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing. Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the NHC, described the situation as “increasingly dire” for areas in the storm’s projected path, noting its slow movement could persist for up to four days.
In Jamaica, authorities announced the closure of Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston at 8 p.m. local time on Saturday. Over 650 shelters have been activated across the island, with warehouses stocked and thousands of food packages prepositioned for rapid distribution.
Widespread Damage and Disruption
Haitian authorities reported three deaths and five injuries due to a collapsed wall. Rising river levels, extensive flooding, and a destroyed bridge in Sainte-Suzanne, in the northeast, have also been attributed to the storm. Ronald Délice, a Haitian civil protection director, expressed concern over the storm’s trajectory as officials distributed food kits, though many residents remain hesitant to evacuate.
In the Dominican Republic, Melissa has damaged nearly 200 homes and disrupted water supply systems, affecting over half a million customers. The storm has also downed trees and traffic lights, caused small landslides, and left more than two dozen communities cut off by floodwaters.
The Bahamas Department of Meteorology has advised that Melissa could bring tropical storm or hurricane conditions to islands in the Southeast and Central Bahamas, as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands, by early next week.
Melissa is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted an above-normal season, forecasting 13 to 18 named storms.