Hurricane Melissa Forecast: Catastrophic Danger For Jamaica, Haiti | Weather.com
Melissa could be one of the most intense, devastating hurricanes on record in Jamaica, with widespread flooding, landslides and destructive winds. Flooding rain is also a grave concern in Hispaniola. Here's the latest forecast.
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Hurricane Melissa is currently undergoing "extreme rapid intensification," according to the National Hurricane Center, increasing 70 mph in just 24 hours. Now a Category 4 storm, Melissa continues to strengthen. The storm is forecast to reach Category 5 status ahead of a catastrophic, multi-day strike on Jamaica with life-threatening flash flooding, landslides, destructive winds and storm surge.
Melissa's torrential rain will also trigger catastrophic flooding in Haiti, and it will later strike eastern Cuba and parts of the Bahamas.
Hurricane Melissa's center is just over 100 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica. The hurricane's forward speed is roughly 5 mph, which is the main driver behind some of its biggest threats.
Melissa already rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to Category 3 hurricane in just 12 hours from late Saturday morning through Saturday night, then increased to a Category 4 on Sunday morning. Melissa will continue to strengthen even more.
Outer bands of showers and thundershowers with heavy rain continue to stream north across parts of Jamaica, Hispaniola and Cuba.
Aside from its wind intensity, Melissa's slow movement over the next several days will lead to prolific rainfall in parts of Haiti and Jamaica.
The National Hurricane Center is warning that up to 40 inches of rain could fall in southern Hispaniola and Jamaica through Wednesday.
That torrential rainfall is likely to trigger widespread, life-threatening flash flooding and landslides, especially in hilly and mountainous terrain.
The National Hurricane Center warned that "extensive infrastructural damage, long-duration power and communication outages, and potentially prolonged isolation of communities" are likely in Jamaica and Haiti.
Heavy rainfall will also likely trigger life-threatening flash flooding and landslides in the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba.
