Hurricane Melissa, a Category 4 storm, was expected to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday morning. Photo courtesy of NOAA
Forecasters warned residents of Jamaica to “seek shelter now,” as Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane, neared landfall on the Caribbean island nation early Monday.
The storm was expected to make landfall along Jamaica’s southern coast on Tuesday morning, but the National Hurricane Center reported that the island was already experiencing damaging winds and heavy rainfall that could cause catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides.
The hurricane was located about 135 miles southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 320 miles southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba, the National Hurricane Center said in its 8 a.m. EDT update.
It had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and was crawling west at 3 mph.
Forecasters said it was to take a slow westward turn overnight, followed by a north and northeastern turn on Monday and Tuesday.
“On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica tonight and Tuesday, across southeastern Cuba Tuesday night, and across the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday,” the NHC said.
The storm became a hurricane Saturday morning and was upgraded to a Category 3 major hurricane by Saturday night.
Additional intensification of the storm is possible over the day, but so are fluctuations, the NHC said.
However, the NHC expects it to be “a powerful major hurricane” when it makes landfall along Jamaica’s southern coast. This would be the strongest direct landfall for the island since records have been kept in the Atlantic Basin.
Either Tuesday night or Wednesday, Melissa is anticipated to make landfall along Cuba’s southeastern coast, while still wielding major hurricane strength.
Catastrophic flash flooding and landslides in parts of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica were expected through early next week.
A hurricane warning was in effect for all of Jamaica and the Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, and Holguin.
Hurricane watches were in effect for the southeastern and central Bahamas as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for Haiti and the Cuban province of Las Tunas.
“Seek shelter now,” the NHC said in a key message for Jamaica.
“Damaging winds and heavy rainfall tonight and Monday will cause catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and numerous landslides before potentially devastating winds arrive Monday night and Tuesday morning,” the agency said.
“Extensive infrastructural damage, long-duration power and communication outages and isolation of communities are expected.”
Rainfall of 15 to 30 inches through Wednesday was forecast for portions of southern Hispaniola, which includes Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, with a local maximum of 40 inches, the NHC said.
Eastern Cuba is expected to receive rainfall of 6 to 12 inches, with local amounts up to 18 inches into Wednesday.
“Life-threatening storm surge is becoming more likely along the south coast of Jamaica later in the weekend or early next week,” the NHC said.
Peak storm surge heights could reach 9 to 13 feet above ground level, near and to the east of where the center of Melissa makes landfall and are expected to be accompanied by large and destructive waves.
There also is a potential of significant storm surge along the Cuban coast next week.
Melissa is the 13th named storm of the season, and it’s the first in the Caribbean.
