Kingston, Jamaica — Jamaica is bracing for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm recorded globally this year, which US meteorologists warn will bring “catastrophic and life-threatening winds, flooding, and storm surge.”
The Category Five storm, the highest possible rating, is moving slowly towards the Caribbean island with sustained wind speeds up to 175mph (282km/h) and is expected to make landfall in the early hours of Tuesday. Melissa has already been blamed for the deaths of four people across Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The storm’s unusually slow pace is a major concern, as meteorologists predict it will dump torrential rain over affected areas for an extended period, drastically increasing the risk of deadly flooding and landslides.
Evacuations Ordered Ahead of ‘Catastrophic Event’
The US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued its latest advisory on Monday, stating that Melissa was approximately 145 miles (233km) south-west of the capital, Kingston, moving “west-north-west” at a crawl of just 3mph (6 km/h).
“This extreme rainfall potential, owing to the slow motion, is going to create a catastrophic event here for Jamaica,” warned NHC deputy director Jamie Rhome. Forecasters project that some parts of Jamaica could see up to 40 inches (100cm) of rain over the next four days.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has ordered the immediate evacuation of several vulnerable communities across the island, urging every resident to comply with the warnings.
“We will weather this storm and rebuild stronger,” he wrote in a public post.
While the government has opened toll booths to ease movement to shelters, some residents have expressed fear. Damian Anderson, a teacher from the mountainous town of Hagley Gap, told Reuters news agency, “We can’t move. We’re scared.”
Evadney Campbell, a Londoner visiting the north coast, told the BBC that while the house she is in is “hurricane proof,” she is worried about low-lying areas in the south-east where many people are reluctant to leave their homes due to fears of looting.
Fatalities in Hispaniola
Prior to reaching Jamaica, the hurricane brought severe weather to the island of Hispaniola.
- In Haiti, at least three people are known to have died, and hundreds of homes were flooded by torrential rainfall.
- In the Dominican Republic, one person—a 79-year-old man—died after being swept away by floodwaters in the capital, Santo Domingo. A 13-year-old boy was also reported missing after being dragged away by strong currents while swimming.
If the hurricane maintains its forecasted path, its core is set to move near or over Jamaica overnight, across south-eastern Cuba on Tuesday night, and then over the south-eastern Bahamas on Wednesday, likely maintaining “extremely powerful” major hurricane strength for much of the journey.
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