UPDATE: Hurricane Melissa has officially reached hurricane strength, prompting urgent warnings and fears of catastrophic flooding across the northern Caribbean. The U.S. National Hurricane Center has confirmed that Jamaica is under a hurricane warning as of Saturday, with winds expected to exceed 74 mph within the next 36 hours.
Melissa, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, is projected to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane by Sunday. The storm is moving at a sluggish pace of 3 mph, threatening Jamaica with torrential rainfall that could reach up to 25 inches and potentially lead to life-threatening flooding and landslides. Similar warnings are in place for southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with Haiti facing the risk of up to 35 inches of rain.
“Unfortunately for places along the projected path of this storm, it is increasingly dire,” stated Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The slow movement of Melissa means that damaging winds and heavy rainfall will persist for days.
Currently, Melissa is located approximately 130 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and 250 miles west-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A hurricane watch has also been issued for several provinces in eastern Cuba, including Granma and Santiago de Cuba, where up to 12 inches of rain could fall.
In Jamaica, authorities are taking serious precautions. The Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston will close at 8 p.m. local time, and over 650 shelters have been activated statewide. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has urged the public to “take this weather threat seriously” and prepare for potential evacuations.
As the storm approaches, the impact is already being felt. At least three fatalities have been reported in Haiti, alongside significant damage, including the destruction of homes and infrastructure. The Dominican Republic has also reported damage to nearly 200 homes and water supply disruptions affecting more than 500,000 customers.
Haitian authorities are working to distribute food and supplies, but many residents remain hesitant to evacuate. “The storm is causing a lot of concern with the way it’s moving,” said Ronald Délice, a Haitian civil protection official.
The Bahamas is also on alert, as Melissa could bring tropical storm conditions to the Southeast and Central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands by early next week.
As the situation develops, residents in the affected areas are urged to stay informed and heed official warnings. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had forecasted an active hurricane season, and Melissa marks the 13th named storm of this Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.
Stay tuned for updates as this situation continues to evolve.
