Hurricane Melissa threatens to make a direct strike on Jamaica as the most powerful storm in its history
Published by RawNews1st
Hurricane Melissa threatens to make a direct strike on Jamaica as the most powerful storm in its history. See how strong it will become and where it’s headed. Jamaica is bracing for destruction as a rapidly intensifying Hurricane Melissa inches closer, threatening to make a direct strike as the most powerful storm to hit the nation in its history. The storm is expected to reach the main island as a Category 5 hurricane late Monday into early Tuesday.
Melissa, which was a tropical storm early Saturday, explosively strengthened into a Category 4 monster early Sunday — and it was still intensifying.
The storm will cause catastrophic flooding and landslides, exacerbated by its slow movement and Jamaica’s mountainous terrain. Up to 40 inches of rain as well as destructive winds and 9 to 13 feet of storm surge are expected leading up to and during landfall — probably including the area near the capital city of Kingston.
“Seek shelter now. Damaging winds and heavy rainfall today and on Monday will cause catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and numerous landslides before the strongest winds arrive Monday night and Tuesday morning,” the National Hurricane Center wrote in an update early Sunday.
“It’s increasingly likely that Jamaica will experience long-duration impacts from Hurricane Melissa like no storm they’ve encountered in modern times,” warned FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross. “South of Jamaica, the Caribbean water is extraordinarily warm, and the atmospheric pattern is forecast to be conducive to dramatic, rapid strengthening of the system. The current consensus track shows an extreme threat to the Kingston metropolitan area from flooding rain, wind, and storm surge.”
The NHC is also using similarly dire language to emphasize the growing threat.
“Melissa’s slow movement will bring a multi-day period of damaging winds and heavy rainfall beginning (Saturday night), likely causing catastrophic flash flooding, numerous landslides, extensive infrastructural damage, long-duration power and communication outages, and potentially prolonged isolation of communities,” the agency wrote in its midday Saturday “key messages” for Jamaica.
The Jamaican government said that it activated the country’s emergency operation center and emergency generators, medical supplies and fuel are in place ahead of the storm.
“We have over 50 generators ready to go and to be deployed so that within 72 hours of a storm, 80% of NWC customers will be able to get back portable water,” Matthew Samuda, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, said during a Friday press conference. “This is a marked difference from the last time around.”
