Hurricane Melissa intensified to Class 5 early Monday because it neared Jamaica, threatening to convey catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread harm to houses and infrastructure. The storm is forecast to dump as much as 30 inches of rain on Jamaica, together with life-threatening storm surge alongside its southern coast.
Melissa is anticipated to make landfall on the island on Tuesday and cross southeastern Cuba and the Bahamas by means of Wednesday. The U.S. State Division on Monday issued pure catastrophe journey alerts for Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and the Bahamas, urging U.S. residents to contemplate leaving whereas flights have been nonetheless obtainable, or be ready to shelter in place.
As of the Nationwide Hurricane Middle’s newest replace, the hurricane had most sustained winds of 175 mph and was inching northwest at a sluggish tempo, simply 2 mph.
Class 5 is the best on the Saffir-Simpson scale, for storms with sustained winds of a minimum of 157 mph — catastrophic power able to destroying most of the houses in its path.
CBS Information
“Harmful winds and storm surge and catastrophic flooding will worsen in Jamaica by means of the day and into tonight,” CBS Information meteorologist Nikki Nolan mentioned Monday.
Melissa is anticipated to be probably the most highly effective storm to ever hit Jamaica, and, doubtlessly, probably the most highly effective storm on report to ever make landfall anyplace, CBS Information Philadelphia meteorologist Grant Gilmore mentioned Monday. The storm’s sluggish tempo, which it was forecast to keep up whereas traversing Jamaica, elevated the chance that it could convey “profound” devastation to the island, in keeping with Gilmore.
“All the threats {that a} hurricane can unleash on an island, it is all going to occur in Jamaica over the subsequent 36 hours,” he mentioned.
Melissa forces Hurricane Hunters plane to show round, NOAA says
CBS Information confirmed {that a} Hurricane Hunters plane from the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was pressured on Monday to abort its mission when it skilled “extreme turbulence” within the storm’s southwestern eyewall.
The crew on considered one of NOAA’s P-3 plane, the N42RF “Kermit,” skilled the turbulence, which triggered a compulsory upkeep motion, and so they needed to return to the Plane Operations Middle in Lakeland, Florida, a NOAA spokesman instructed CBS Information. The plane underwent inspection and upkeep and was scheduled to proceed with deliberate missions on Monday. One other of NOAA’s P-3 plane, the N43RF “Miss Piggy,” was slated to assist flights into Hurricane Melissa beginning Tuesday.
Storm surge in Jamaica might peak as much as 13 ft, forecasters say
Along with the rainfall, Melissa is prone to trigger a life-threatening storm surge on Jamaica’s southern coast, peaking as a lot as 13 ft above floor degree, close to and to the east of the place the middle of Melissa makes landfall, forecasters mentioned.
Necessary evacuations have been ordered in seven flood-prone communities, the place buses carried individuals to shelters, in keeping with Jamaica’s Workplace of Catastrophe Preparedness and Emergency Administration there.
Along with the impression on Jamaica, western Haiti might get 16 inches of rain, bringing the specter of catastrophic flash flooding and landslides there, too, the hurricane heart warned.
The slow-moving storm has already killed a minimum of three individuals in Haiti and a fourth within the Dominican Republic, the place one other individual stays lacking, in keeping with authorities.
“I wish to urge Jamaicans to take this critically,” mentioned Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Catastrophe Threat Administration Council. “Don’t gamble with Melissa. It isn’t a protected guess.”
Octavio Jones / REUTERS 
The hurricane was anticipated to make one other landfall later Tuesday in japanese Cuba, the place authorities have ordered some 650,000 individuals to evacuate, in keeping with the nation’s president. A hurricane warning was in impact for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin provinces, whereas a tropical storm warning was in impact for Las Tunas. As much as 20 inches of rain have been forecast for components of Cuba, together with a major storm surge alongside the coast.
Round 1,000 U.S. army personnel have been evacuated from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, forward of Melissa’s arrival, a U.S. protection official instructed CBS Information. In the meantime, some U.S. Navy ships within the area have been repositioned out of the hurricane’s direct path however remained actively deployed, the official mentioned.
Evan Thompson, principal director at Jamaica’s meteorological service, additionally warned Melissa could possibly be the strongest hurricane Jamaica has skilled in a long time. He mentioned cleanup and harm evaluation could possibly be severely delayed due to anticipated landslides, flooding and blocked roads.
“Do not make silly selections,” warned Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s transport minister. “We’re in a really, very critical time over the subsequent few days.”
RICARDO MAKYN/AFP by way of Getty Photographs 
The storm has already dropped heavy rain within the Dominican Republic, the place colleges and authorities places of work have been ordered to stay closed on Monday in 4 of 9 provinces nonetheless beneath crimson alert. The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
Melissa broken greater than 750 houses throughout the Dominican Republic, displacing greater than 3,760 individuals and leaving greater than half one million with out ingesting water companies, emergency officers mentioned. Floodwaters have additionally lower entry to a minimum of 48 communities, officers mentioned.
In Haiti, the storm destroyed crops in three areas, together with 37 acres of maize, at a time when a minimum of 5.7 million individuals — greater than half the nation’s inhabitants — are experiencing crisis-level starvation, with 1.9 million of these dealing with emergency-level starvation.
“Flooding is obstructing entry to farmland and markets, jeopardizing harvests and the winter agricultural season,” the United Nation’s Meals and Agriculture Group mentioned.
Melissa was anticipated to maintain dumping torrential rain over southern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic within the upcoming days.
