Jamaica Braces As Rapidly Intensifying Hurricane Melissa Lumbers Toward Island

Tropical Storm Melissa has become a hurricane and is expected to strengthen into at least Category 4 intensity, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Saturday.

The rapidly intensifying storm is expected to wreak havoc across the Caribbean with catastrophic floods, landslides and storm surges expected in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola into early next week, forcing authorities and residents to batten down.

Hurricane Melissa is located about 130 miles (210 km) southeast of Kingston and about 250 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, according to the NHC advisory.

Maximum sustained winds increased to near 90 mph (150 km/h).

A hurricane warning is in place for Jamaica, and a hurricane watch for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti and parts of Cuba, including Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, and Holguin.

“I would urge all my fellow citizens, now is the time to be prepared,” Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said during a press conference in Kingston, adding that the “entire Jamaica will be impacted” for multiple days.

Holness advised people in low-lying areas like Port Royal in Kingston to evacuate but did not issue a mandatory evacuation order.

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Evan Thompson, Jamaica’s principal director at the Meteorological Service, said Melissa is expected to make landfall in Jamaica as a Category 4 storm on Tuesday, and remain for five days. Category 4 hurricanes have sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph.

“Today is really the last day to do what you have to do on the outside,” Thompson said.

People around the country were rushing to gather supplies and secure their homes while fishermen and vendors in Kingston raced to prepare their boats and sell their goods before the storm hits.

“When it’s moving slow, it’s the worst because no one knows what’s next,” said Diane Thompson, a local herb seller. “I asked God this morning to see if he can turn back the storm. Because no matter what, we cannot manage it.”

The NHC said the storm is currently moving west at 3 mph (6 km/h) and predicts 15 to 30 inches (38 to 76 cm) of rainfall in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola with a possible local maximum of 40 inches. Eastern Cuba is expected to get 6 to 12 inches with local amounts of 18 inches.

Jamaica’s south coast is expected to see storm surges of up to 13 feet (3.96 m) accompanied by large, destructive waves. Significant storm surges are expected on the southeast coast of Cuba early next week, the agency added.

Clive Davis, a fisherman from Kingston, prepared his boat “Prince Daniel” along the shoreline and said he feared Melissa will bring more damage than last year’s devastating Hurricane Beryl, which passed just south of the island.

“But this now, she wants to come stay, visit Jamaica for three days, why? It’s gonna slow down business, but it’s nature. We can’t fight against nature,” he said.

(Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru, Zahra Burton and Maria Alejandra Cardona in Kingston; Writing by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Bill Berkrot)