Hurricane Melissa is becoming a rare Category 5 hurricane with winds of 165 mph and gusts of more than 175 mph. Jamaica is getting ready for a terrible impact. Melissa is the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica since records began. It is expected to make landfall early Tuesday, October 28. It will bring torrential rains of up to 40 inches. Additionally, life-threatening storm surges of up to 13 feet are expected. Winds could destroy infrastructure and cause flooding.
The hurricane is moving slowly, at only 2 to 3 mph. It has already killed a number of people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Jamaican government has ordered people to leave vulnerable coastal areas. It opened 800 shelters, but not many people are taking advantage of them. As Melissa’s eye gets closer to the island’s southern coast, officials are warning of total structural failure in high areas. They also warn of widespread power outages and severe landslides because the soil is so wet.
Residents are told to get ready for strong winds, heavy rain, and flooding that could last for a long time. These could cut off communities and basic services. The storm surge is likely to hit the southern coast hard, especially Kingston. Emergency measures like sandbagging and boarding up homes are already in place. Jamaica has been slowly getting back on its feet since Hurricane Gilbert hit in 1988. However, Melissa’s unprecedented strength is putting that recovery to the test.
