Hurricane Melissa is expected to make landfall in the Caribbean today and surge across the region, catching several countries in its breadth including Jamaica and Cuba
Hurricane Melissa is expected to cause massive damage this week as it barrels through the Caribbean with, storm trackers keeping a close eye on the system as it produces extreme 175mph winds and higher gusts.
The storm, which made landfall on Tuesday in the Caribbean with a pressure level almost identical to Hurricane Katrina, has already killed seven people, authorities believe. Three have been killed in Jamaica, another three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person is currently missing.
Melissa’s devastating potential means weather[1] forecasters are keeping a close eye on the system as it is tipped for landfall in several other nations today alone.
READ MORE: Hurricane Melissa UPDATES: Jamaica locals run for shelter as at least 7 dead[2]READ MORE: Hurricane Melissa: ‘Hundreds of Brits’ trapped in hotel as deadly storm nears[3]
According to the latest tracking information from the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) a US-based government organisation, the hurricane was this morning around 115 miles to the southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and 290 miles outside Guantanamo, Cuba. Over the next few hours, it is expected to touch down on Jamaica’s southern coast.
The storm is expected to make landfall in the early hours and slice diagonally across the island, entering near St Elizabeth parish in the south and exiting around St Ann parish in the north, forecasters said.
Hours before the storm, the government said it had done all it could to prepare as it warned of catastrophic damage. Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned ahead of landfall that there would be “no infrastructure” that could possibly withstand the conditions caused by the storm.
He said: “There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5. The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.”
Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported ahead of the storm, with officials in Jamaica cautioning that the cleanup and damage assessment would be slow. A life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) is expected across southern Jamaica, with officials concerned about the impact on some hospitals[4] along the coastline.
Health Minister Christopher Tufton said some patients were relocated from the ground floor to the second floor. The NHC said in its latest update that the storm would start making a “catastrophic” impact this morning in Jamaica.
Its warning for wind states: “Tropical storm conditions are occurring in Jamaica, and catastrophic hurricane-force winds are expected to begin this morning. Within the eyewall, total structural failure is likely, especially in higher elevation areas where wind speeds atop and on the windward sides of hills and mountains could be up to 30 percent stronger.”
Melissa is expected to bring similarly catastrophic rain, the NHC states, between 15 to 30 inches in some parts of Jamaica and southern Hispaniola through Wednesday.
A second warning states: “Melissa is expected to bring rainfall of 15 to 30 inches to portions of Jamaica and additional rainfall of 6 to 12 inches for southern Hispaniola through Wednesday, with storm total local maxima of 40 inches possible. Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely.
“For eastern Cuba, storm total rainfall of 10 to 20 inches, with local amounts to 25 inches, is expected into Wednesday resulting in life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash flooding with numerous landslides.”
References
- ^ weather (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Hurricane Melissa UPDATES: Jamaica locals run for shelter as at least 7 dead (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Hurricane Melissa: ‘Hundreds of Brits’ trapped in hotel as deadly storm nears (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ hospitals (www.mirror.co.uk)