Hurricane Melissa Threatens Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba with Heavy Rain and Destruction

A potentially devastating hurricane disaster is looming over Jamaica, southern Haiti, and Cuba as Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensifies into a major hurricane by the weekend. The storm's slow movement, traveling only about 200 miles over four days, will lead to destructive impacts lasting for days as the storm lurks just offshore. The National Hurricane Center has warned of significant flash flooding and landslides in the southern Dominican Republic, eastern Jamaica, and southern Haiti. In a worst-case scenario, several feet of rain could fall in Jamaica, an island with mountains over 7,000 feet tall.

Key Takeaways:

• Hurricane Melissa is forecast to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane by the weekend, posing a significant threat to Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba.
• The storm's slow movement, traveling only about 200 miles over four days, will lead to destructive impacts lasting for days as the storm lurks just offshore.
• The National Hurricane Center has warned of significant flash flooding and landslides in the southern Dominican Republic, eastern Jamaica, and southern Haiti.
• Several feet of rain could fall in Jamaica, potentially causing catastrophic flash flooding and landslides.
• Melissa will likely track northward and cross Cuba mid-week before potentially hitting the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas.
• There is a slight chance that Melissa interacts with a separate disturbance near the East Coast, potentially pulling it into New England or Atlantic Canada.

Statistics:

• 200 miles: the distance Hurricane Melissa is expected to travel between Saturday and Tuesday.
• 2.7 million: the population of Jamaica, which will be severely impacted by the hurricane.
• 7,000 feet: the height of the tallest mountains in Jamaica, which could lead to catastrophic flash flooding and landslides.
• 45 mph: the wind speed of Hurricane Melissa as a weak tropical storm on Friday, before it rapidly intensified into a major hurricane.

Sources:

• National Hurricane Center: "Hurricane Melissa Update" (no date)
• Ben Noll, Matthew Cappucci: "A weather disaster could unfold across Jamaica, southern Haiti and Cuba from the weekend into next week" (no date)