On October 26th (Sunday), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States reported that the maximum sustained wind speed of Hurricane “Melissa” has reached 140 miles per hour (approximately 225 kilometers per hour), with expectations of further strengthening to a Category 5 hurricane. Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic are facing significant threats.
NHC stated that flash flooding and landslides could be catastrophic in southern Hispaniola and parts of Jamaica. The total rainfall is forecasted to be between 15 to 30 inches, with localized amounts possibly reaching up to 40 inches. There may be more heavy rainfall after Wednesday, but the uncertainty of the timeframe makes it challenging to predict the storm’s total impact accurately.
The report predicts that “Melissa” is likely to make landfall in Jamaica Monday evening or early Tuesday and land in southeastern Cuba by Tuesday night, reaching intense hurricane levels at that point.
Due to the impact of the winds, Jamaica is likely to experience tropical storm conditions, with hurricanes expected to begin on Monday. The possibility of hurricanes in the warning area of Haiti has diminished today, with tropical storm conditions expected. However, hurricanes are still possible on Tuesday. From Tuesday to Wednesday, hurricane conditions may be present in the warning area of eastern Cuba.
NHC issued warnings that Jamaica and southwestern Haiti will face “extensive damage to infrastructure, prolonged power and communication outages, and community isolation.”
It is expected that before landfall, “Melissa” could intensify to a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds reaching up to 160 miles per hour. This would be the strongest storm to hit the island in 35 years since Category 4 Hurricane “Gilbert” struck Jamaica in 1988.
Reference: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
“Melissa” is currently a Category 4 hurricane, classified as “catastrophic damage,” and is expected to further strengthen into a Category 5 hurricane, classified as “major catastrophic damage.”
Tropical storm and hurricane warnings have been issued for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti, from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince, as well as for the Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, and Holguin.
For more detailed information, please refer to the official website of the National Hurricane Center:
National Hurricane Center