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Hurricane Melissa path update: When will it make landfall in Jamaica? Is US next?
Hurricane Melissa path update: Melissa has intensified into a Category 5 storm and is moving rapidly towards Jamaica.
Hurricane Melissa path update: Melissa has intensified into a Category 5 storm and is moving rapidly towards Jamaica, where it is expected to unleash catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread damage. It will be the strongest hurricane to hit the island since record-keeping began in 1851.
When will Hurricane Melissa make landfall?
Melissa was on track to make landfall Tuesday in Jamaica before coming ashore in Cuba later in the day and then heading toward the Bahamas.
Category 5 is the top of the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, with sustained winds exceeding 157 mph (250 kph). Melissa would be the strongest hurricane in recorded history to directly hit the small Caribbean nation, said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather.
Will Hurricane Melissa make landfall in the US?
The East Coast is likely to avoid Melissa. As the hurricane moves through the Atlantic, it could affect the Canadian Maritimes.
Eastern Jamaica faces up to 30 inches of rain, while western Haiti could see 16 inches, raising the threat of catastrophic flash floods and landslides. Authorities ordered mandatory evacuations in flood-prone areas, deploying buses to move residents to shelters. Still, many have chosen to stay behind.
In eastern Cuba, officials are preparing for the worst. More than 600,000 people are being evacuated from four provinces, including Santiago de Cuba, where long lines of buses formed Monday. Forecasters expect up to 20 inches of rain and a dangerous coastal surge.
The Dominican Republic remains under red alert in several provinces after Melissa destroyed more than 750 homes and displaced nearly 4,000 people. Flooding has isolated at least 48 communities.
Melissa is the 13th named storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through November. With experts forecasting an above-normal season, meteorologists say the Caribbean may be facing one of its most destructive storms in decades.
