Hurricane Melissa, a category 4 storm, is expected to intensify to category 5, threatening Jamaica and the Caribbean. Photo / RAMMB, AFP
Hurricane Melissa, a category 4 storm, is expected to intensify to category 5, threatening Jamaica and the Caribbean. Photo / RAMMB, AFP
Hurricane Melissa, already a major category 4 storm, strengthened as it headed for Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean, with forecasters predicting catastrophic flooding and urging residents to seek shelter immediately.
Melissa has already been blamed for at least four deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic thisweek, as its outer bands brought heavy rains and landslides.
The storm is moving at a worryingly slow pace – just 6km/h – which has meteorologists concerned that it will dump heavy rains on countries in its path for far longer than a storm that passes by more quickly.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Melissa was packing maximum winds of about 225km/h – and would likely intensify into a top-level category 5 storm later Sunday.
Up to 1m of rain could hit parts of Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, sparking flash flooding and more landslides.
“This extreme rainfall potential, owing to the slow motion, is going to create a catastrophic event here for Jamaica,” NHC Deputy Director Jamie Rhome said in a webcast briefing.
“You need to just be wherever you’re going to be and be ready to ride this out for several days.
“Conditions will deteriorate really, really rapidly here in the next few hours. Don’t be out and about after sunset.”
A 79-year-old man was found dead in the Dominican Republic after being swept away in a stream, local officials said on Saturday local time. A 13-year-old boy was missing.
In neighbouring Haiti, the civil protection agency reported the deaths of three people caused by storm conditions.
“You feel powerless, unable to do anything, just run away and leave everything behind,” Angelita Francisco, a 66-year-old who fled her neighbourhood in the Dominican Republic, told AFP through tears.
Floodwater had inundated her house, causing her refrigerator to float away.
‘Remain in safe harbour’
“Seek shelter now,” the NHC advised residents of Jamaica. “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.”
The international airport in Kingston closed late on Saturday to incoming and departing flights, Jamaican Transport Minister Daryl Vaz said.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness advised fishermen to “remain in safe harbour”. The Jamaica Information Service, a government agency, said that all seaports had been closed.
Jamaican authorities have closed airports and seaports, urging residents to seek shelter immediately. Photo / Ricardo Makyn, AFP
Melissa was expected to make landfall in Jamaica late Monday or early Tuesday local time, and then again in southeastern Cuba.
At 1500 GMT, the hurricane was located about 177km south of Kingston and 450km south-southwest of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The Dominican Republic’s emergency operations centre has placed nine of 31 provinces on red alert because of the risk of flash floods, rising rivers and landslides.
