People in Jamaica are bracing for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, which is forecast to unleash destructive winds and bring catastrophic flooding to the Caribbean nation in the coming hours.
Melissa was upgraded to a category five hurricane- the maximum strength- early on Monday, according to the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC). Authorities fear that Hurricane Melissa could become the strongest to ever hit Jamaica, having already been blamed for the deaths of four people on the island of Hispaniola.
The Jamaican government has ordered evacuations for parts of the capital, Kingston, and the entire island has been classed as “threatened”.
An update from the NHC at 09:00 GMT stated that Melissa was about 130 miles (209 km) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica. It currently has maximum sustained wind speeds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and could strengthen further within the next 12 to 24 hours, forecasters warned.
If it continues on the projected path, Melissa’s core is expected “to move near or over Jamaica tonight and Tuesday, across south-eastern Cuba Tuesday night, and across the south-eastern Bahamas on Wednesday”.
The storm is particularly slow moving, making it especially dangerous in terms of expected rainfall amounts. According to the NHC, up to 40 inches (100 cm) of rain are possible in parts of Jamaica over the next four days.
Forecasters warn that destructive winds and life-threatening storm surges are expected to hit Jamaica overnight or early on Tuesday. Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has ordered the immediate evacuation of several vulnerable communities across the island. Officials have also urged residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to seek shelter in safer zones.
Jamaica’s Minister of Local Government, Desmond McKenzie, told local media that all of the island’s 881 shelters have been opened to accommodate those affected.
At least three people are confirmed dead and hundreds of homes have been flooded in Haiti, as Melissa brought torrential rainfall to the island of Hispaniola. In the Dominican Republic, located on the eastern side of the island, one person also died. Local media identified the victim as a 79-year-old man who was swept away by floodwaters in the capital, Santo Domingo.
A 13-year-old boy has also been reported missing after being dragged away by strong currents while swimming in the sea. Several people were rescued after becoming trapped in their cars by rising floodwaters.
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