Hurricane Melissa is now the strongest storm on the planet this year: Here is what we know
Published by RawNews1st
Melissa underwent extreme rapid intensification over the weekend and continues to strengthen. The rare Category 5 has winds of 175 mph, with stronger gusts, making it the strongest storm on the planet this year.
Melissa’s outer bands are lashing Jamaica with wind and rain. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for vulnerable coastal areas of Jamaica. Melissa has already killed three people in Haiti and one person in the Dominican Republic.
Catastrophic impact: Up to 40 inches of rain, 13 feet of storm surge and 160 mph sustained winds will cause “extensive infrastructure damage” that will cut off communities, the National Hurricane Center warned.
Several cruises in the Caribbean have been impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
Carnival has changed the itineraries for its Carnival Liberty, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Dream, Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Vista ships. Carnival said its Fleet Operations Center in Miami is closely monitoring the forecast.
Margaritaville at Sea is changing the itinerary of the Islander to avoid the storm, while Celebrity Beyond and Icon of the Seas will sail to the western Caribbean instead of the eastern Caribbean.
The Disney Treasure and the Disney Wish also have revised itineraries to avoid the hurricane.
The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica issued an alert on Monday warning Americans in the area to prepare to shelter in place.
The three international airports in Jamaica — Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport, Ian Fleming International Airport in Ocho Rios and Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport — are closed.
“This is a dangerous storm,” the alert said. “Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely.”
The U.S. Embassy in Havana said in a bulletin that Americans in Cuba should “decide whether to leave now or be prepared to shelter in place.”
