Hurricane Melissa roared to Category 5 strength on Monday as it churned toward Jamaica, where forecasters warned of catastrophic flooding, deadly landslides and widespread infrastructure damage. The storm was expected to make landfall on the island Tuesday before barreling across Cuba and the Bahamas through Wednesday.
As of early Monday, Melissa was centered about 135 miles (220 kilometers) southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and roughly 320 miles (515 kilometers) southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Melissa packed maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph) and was creeping west at 3 mph (5 kph), the center said.
Category 5 is the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds exceeding 157 mph (250 kph). Melissa is the strongest hurricane in recent history forecast to directly strike the small Caribbean nation.
“Do not venture out of your safe shelter,” the National Hurricane Center warned.
Some areas in eastern Jamaica could see up to 40 inches (1 meter) of rain, while western Haiti could receive up to 16 inches (40 centimeters), according to the hurricane center. “Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely,” it said.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered in seven flood-prone communities in Jamaica, with buses transporting residents to shelters.
The slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and one person in the Dominican Republic, where another remains missing.
“I want to urge Jamaicans to take this seriously,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council. “Do not gamble with Melissa. It’s not a safe bet.”
The hurricane was expected to make another landfall later Tuesday in eastern Cuba. A hurricane warning was in effect for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo and Holguín, while a tropical storm warning was issued for Las Tunas. Up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain was forecast for parts of Cuba, along with a significant coastal storm surge.
A tropical storm warning also remained in effect for Haiti.
Melissa could be the strongest hurricane Jamaica has experienced in decades, said Evan Thompson, principal director of Jamaica’s meteorological service. He warned that cleanup and damage assessment could be severely delayed because of landslides, flooding and blocked roads.
It would be the first time in recent history that a storm of Category 4 or higher has made landfall in Jamaica, Thompson said.
He noted that Hurricane Gilbert was a Category 3 storm when it hit the island in 1988. Hurricanes Ivan and Beryl were both Category 4 but did not make landfall, Thompson said.
In addition to torrential rain, Melissa was likely to cause a life-threatening storm surge along Jamaica’s southern coast, peaking around 13 feet (4 meters) above ground level near and to the east of where the center makes landfall, the hurricane center said.
“Don’t make foolish decisions,” warned Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s transport minister. “We are in a very, very serious time over the next few days.”
The storm already has dumped heavy rain on the Dominican Republic, where schools and government offices were ordered closed Monday in four of nine provinces under red alert.
Melissa damaged more than 750 homes across the country, displacing more than 3,700 people. Floodwaters also cut access to at least 48 communities, officials said.
In neighboring Haiti, the storm destroyed crops in three regions, including 15 hectares (37 acres) of maize, at a time when at least 5.7 million people – more than half the country’s population – are experiencing crisis levels of hunger, with 1.9 million facing emergency levels.
“Flooding is obstructing access to farmland and markets, jeopardizing harvests and the winter agricultural season,” the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said.
Melissa was expected to continue dumping heavy rain over parts of Haiti as it moves northeast in the coming days.
A hurricane watch was in effect for the southeastern and central Bahamas and for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
