Jamaica has never taken a direct hit from a Category 4 or 5 hurricane in recorded history. (Credit: EvgeniyQW/Adobe Stock)
Hurricane Melissa is set to make landfall in Jamaica Tuesday afternoon, as the storm reaches record-level strength.
A Category 5 hurricane, Melissa will bring life-threatening and destructive winds and intense rainfall to Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba over the next several days. According to an update from the National Hurricane Center, Melissa’s maximum winds have already reached 185 mph, just 5 mph short of an Atlantic record.
Flooding and mudslides are expected, especially in Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba, with rainfall amounts of 24-36 inches, according to a report from AccuWeather. Road washouts could isolate communities on the islands for some time.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told the press that he had “been on my knees in prayer” and predicted roofs ripped off homes and flooded roads.
“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” he said. “There’s going to be damage if there is a Category 5.”
Jamaica has never taken a direct hit from a Category 4 or 5 hurricane in recorded history.
Hurricane Melissa is particularly dangerous because the storm is moving at a record slow speed. An AccuWeather analysis of hurricanes since 1971 found that Melissa’s average forward speed in the region is just 4.6 mph, the slowest of record. That means the storm could linger over the islands, causing more destruction.
“Life-threatening flooding and mudslides will worsen as Melissa treks across the island,” said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert, in a statement. “The storm surge pushed into the bays and along the coastline could damage or wipe out critical infrastructure. The destruction could be unlike anything people in Jamaica have seen before.”
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