Hurricane Melissa, a Category 2 storm, was moving away from the Bahamas early Thursday. Image courtesy NOAA
Hurricane Melissa, weakened to a Category 2 storm, was moving away from the Bahamas into the southwestern Atlantic Ocean early Thursday, after battering the Caribbean over the last few days.
Melissa was making its way into the Atlantic after passing through the Bahamas on Wednesday. It made landfall early Wednesday on the southeast coast of Cuba as an “extremely dangerous hurricane,” after barreling through Jamaica Tuesday, causing widespread damage.
It was located about 145 miles northeast of the central Bahamas and 755 miles southwest of Bermuda, the National Hurricane Center said in its 2 a.m. update.
It had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and was moving north-northeast at 21 mph, forecasters said.
Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday at about 1 p.m. as a powerful Category 5 storm, with estimated maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. It was the strongest direct hit on Jamaica since records have been kept in the Atlantic basin. It was also the first storm to make landfall in the Caribbean this season.
The storm had lost some strength as it traveled over Jamaica’s western mountains, but maintained major hurricane status as it headed for Cuba. It remained a hurricane when it reached the Bahamas .
Forecasts say the storm is expected to pick up even more speed as it moves away from the Bahamas and Bermuda through Thursday and should be near Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula on Saturday.
“On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move away from the southeastern and central Bahamas this morning, then pass near or to the west of Bermuda later today and tonight,” the NHC said.
A hurricane warning is in effect for southeastern and central Bahamas and Bermuda.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The southeastern Bahamas is expected receive between 5 and 10 inches of rainfall through Thursday morning, Turks and Caicos is to expect between 1 and 2 inches.
Southern Hispaniola is expected to get 1 to 2 inches through early Thursday, with a storm total local maxima of 4o inches possible.
Bermuda may receive up to 25 inches of rain through Thursday night.
Melissa is the 13th named storm of the season and fifth hurricane. The other Category 5 storms in the Atlantic have been Erin and Humberto.
In September 2019, Hurricane Dorian had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and devastated the Bahamian islands, including the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama, as a Category 5 storm.
The all-time highest sustained wind speed was Hurricane Allen at 190 mph in August 1980 over the Yucatan Peninsula before weakening to a Category 3 when it struck South Texas.
The most destructive Category 5 storm in the United States was Hurricane Andrew in August 1992, with $27.3 billion in damage. Hurricane Michael, also a Category 5 storm, struck the less populated Florida Panhandle in October 2018.
Hurricane Gilbert struck Jamaica in 1988 as a Category 3 storm.
The United States is not threatened this time.
