Jamaicans are bracing for the impacts of Hurricane Melissa. Melissa is expected to unleash destructive winds and bring catastrophic flooding to the Caribbean country in the coming hours.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Monday morning that Melissa had been upgraded to a Category 5 hurricane, its maximum intensity.
Authorities fear Melissa, which has already claimed four lives on the island of Hispaniola, could become the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica.
The Jamaican government issued an evacuation order for parts of the capital Kingston, and the entire island was classified as a ‘threatened’ area.
An update from the NHC at 12:00GMT said Melissa was located about 220 kilometers southwest of Kingston, Jamaica.
Maximum sustained winds are 260 km/h and could strengthen further in the next 12 to 24 hours, forecasters warned.
If it continues on its projected track, its core is expected to “move near or over Jamaica tonight and Tuesday, across southeastern Cuba on Tuesday night, and across southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.”
The storm’s movement speed is particularly slow, making it very dangerous in terms of the amount of precipitation expected.
According to the NHC, up to 40 inches (100 cm) of rain is possible in parts of Jamaica over the next four days.
Forecasters warn that destructive winds and life-threatening storm surge are expected to hit Jamaica overnight or early Tuesday morning.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness ordered the immediate evacuation of several vulnerable communities across the island.
Officials also urged residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to evacuate to safer areas.
Jamaica’s Minister of Local Government, Desmond McKenzie, told local media that all 881 shelters on the island were open.
At least three people have died and hundreds of homes have been reported to be flooded in Haiti after Melissa brought heavy rain to the island of Hispaniola.
One person also died in the Dominican Republic, located east of Hispaniola.
Local media said the victim was a 79-year-old man who was swept away by floods in the capital Santo Domingo.
A 13-year-old child was also reported missing after being dragged by a strong current while swimming in the sea.
Several people trapped in vehicles were rescued due to flooding.
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