The formidable force of Hurricane Melissa has propelled it into an elite category of Atlantic storms. With relentless winds clocking in at 175 mph, Melissa stands among the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in this ocean basin.
While only nine hurricanes in the Atlantic have surpassed Melissa in strength, several have matched its intense 175-mph winds. Hurricane Allen, which struck in 1980, still remains the benchmark with its extraordinary 190 mph gusts.
In the Caribbean Sea, Melissa ranks as one of the most intense hurricanes ever, trailing only behind Allen, Wilma from 2005, Mitch from 1998, and Gilbert from 1988. Notably, Gilbert was the last significant storm to make landfall in Jamaica.
Tragically, Melissa has already resulted in fatalities in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
At a slow pace of 2 mph, Melissa is currently inching northwestward, with its eye anticipated to touch Jamaica’s southern shores by Tuesday morning.
However, the devastating effects of this storm, resembling a giant buzz saw, are expected to begin hours in advance of its arrival.
Tropical-storm-force sustained winds (up to 73 mph) with higher gusts will spread across Jamaica after midnight.
Hurricane conditions will likely begin just before sunrise Tuesday. This means sustained winds of 74 mph up to 175 mph as the core approaches. Gusts could be over 200 mph, particularly in the mountains.
Because Melissa is moving so slowly, its damaging winds, flooding rain, and storm surge will last far longer than just the moment of landfall.
Up to 40 inches of rain, 13 feet of storm surge, and 160 mph sustained winds will cause “extensive infrastructure damage” that will cut off communities, the National Hurricane Center warned.
Jamaica’s Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles said Monday that the evacuation orders issued for vulnerable areas are not a suggestion, but a “directive to save your life,” as the country confronts “extreme devastation and danger” posed by Hurricane Melissa.
“It (Melissa) is very slow, it is very, very, very intense. And that means the outcome may potentially be extreme devastation and danger,” Charles told CNN’s Derek Van Dam.
The minister also said that buses are being used to transport people in need to emergency shelters across the country. “If you are in a low-lying, flood-prone area, now is the time to take no chances and not to gamble,” he said.
United Nations staff are preparing to deploy to Cuba and Jamaica this week.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Monday that it is planning to send in personnel, “as conditions allow, to reinforce coordination and preparedness efforts across the region.”
“OCHA and its partners are supporting authorities ahead of further impact,” the office said in a statement. After Jamaica, Melissa is still expected to be a major hurricane when it roars over eastern Cuba with damaging winds, storm surge, and potentially catastrophic flooding.
Hurricane Melissa is not forecast to hit the United States.
A strong cold front tracking into the East will act as an atmospheric brick wall of protection along the US coastline.
Wet and windy conditions from the front will spread into the East Coast Wednesday and Thursday.
Cold fronts like this are more frequent toward the end of hurricane season, but they don’t always offer protection. Storms that track farther north and west in the Caribbean than Melissa can sometimes get drawn up by them and be sent toward the eastern Gulf Coast, most often Florida.
While Melissa won’t hit the US directly, it will still churn up some rough seas and increase the risk of dangerous rip currents along the East Coast. Those impacts will begin Wednesday when Melissa crosses into the Atlantic, and will continue through at least the weekend.
