Melissa Strengthens To A Category 5 Hurricane As It Nears Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 strength as it approached Jamaica on Monday; forecasters said it would lead to devastating floods, numerous landslides and extensive infrastructure damage.

Melissa is expected to make landfall on the island on Tuesday and pass Cuba and the Bahamas by Wednesday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said early Monday that Melissa was about 135 miles (220 kilometers) southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 320 miles (515 kilometers) southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba.

The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and was moving west at 3 mph (5 km/h), the center said.

Category 5 is the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds exceeding 250 km/h. Melissa is the strongest hurricane in recent history predicted to directly hit this small Caribbean country.

The National Hurricane Center warned, “Do not leave your safe shelter.”

Some areas in eastern Jamaica could see as much as 40 inches (1 meter) of rain, while western Haiti could see up to 16 inches (40 centimeters) of rain, according to the hurricane center. “Catastrophic flash floods and many landslides are likely,” it warned.

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in seven communities at risk of flooding in Jamaica, with buses carrying people to safe shelters.

The slow-moving storm killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where one person remains missing.

“I want to urge Jamaicans to take this seriously,” said Desmond McKenzie, vice president of the Jamaica Disaster Risk Management Council. “Don’t gamble with Melissa. It’s not a safe bet.”

The hurricane was expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba once again later Tuesday. A hurricane warning was issued for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin provinces, and a tropical storm warning was issued for Las Tunas. Up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain was expected in some parts of Cuba and a significant storm surge along the coast.

A tropical storm warning for Haiti also remained in effect.

Evan Thompson, chief director of Jamaica’s meteorological service, said Melissa could be the strongest hurricane Jamaica has experienced in decades. He warned that cleanup and damage assessment would be severely delayed due to expected landslides, flooding and blocked roads.

Thompson said it will be the first time in recent history that a Category 4 or higher storm will make landfall in Jamaica.

Thompson noted that Hurricane Gilbert was a Category 3 storm when it hit the island in 1988. Thompson said Hurricanes Ivan and Beryl were both Category 4 but did not make landfall.

In addition to rainfall, Melissa could cause a life-threatening storm surge along Jamaica’s south coast, near and east of where Melissa’s center makes landfall, peaking at about 13 feet (4 meters) above ground level, the U.S. center said.

“Don’t make stupid decisions,” warned Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s transport minister. “We are going through a very, very serious time in the next few days.”

The storm caused heavy rain in the Dominican Republic; Here schools and government offices were ordered to remain closed on Monday in four of the nine provinces still under red alert.

Melissa damaged more than 750 homes across the country, displacing more than 3,760 people. Floodwaters also blocked access to at least 48 communities, officials said.

In neighboring Haiti, the storm destroyed crops in three regions, including 15 hectares (37 acres) of corn, at a time when more than half the country’s population, or at least 5.7 million people, live there. crisis levels of hunger1.9 million of them face immediate hunger.

“Flooding is blocking access to farmland and markets, jeopardizing harvests and the winter farming season,” the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said.

Melissa was expected to continue dumping heavy rain on parts of Haiti as it moved northeastward in the coming days.

A hurricane watch was in effect for the southeastern and central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.