Kingston, Jamaica — Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 early Monday as it neared Jamaica, threatening to bring catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. The storm is forecast to dump up to 30 inches of rain on Jamaica, or even more in some areas, along with life-threatening storm surge.
Melissa is expected to make landfall on the island Monday night and Tuesday and cross southeastern Cuba and the Bahamas through Wednesday.
Monday morning, the hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and was inching west at a slow pace, just 3 mph, the center said.
Category 5 is the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale, meaning it has winds of at least 157 mph — catastrophic strength capable of destroying many of the homes in its path. Melissa is the strongest hurricane in recent history to directly hit the small Caribbean nation.
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“Destructive winds and storm surge and catastrophic flooding will worsen on Jamaica through the day and into tonight,” CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan stressed.
In addition to the impact on Jamaica, western Haiti could get 16 inches of rain, bringing the threat of catastrophic flash flooding and landslides there too, the hurricane center warned.
The slow-moving storm has already killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing, according to authorities.
“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.”
In addition to the rainfall, Melissa is likely to cause a life-threatening storm surge on Jamaica’s southern coast, peaking as much as 13 feet above ground level, near and to the east of where the center of Melissa makes landfall, forecasters said.
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The hurricane was expected to make another landfall later Tuesday in eastern Cuba. A hurricane warning was in effect for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin provinces, while a tropical storm warning was in effect for Las Tunas. Up to 20 inches of rain were forecast for parts of Cuba, along with a significant storm surge along the coast.
Melissa could be the strongest hurricane Jamaica has experienced in decades, said Evan Thompson, principal director at Jamaica’s meteorological service. He warned that cleanup and damage assessment would be severely delayed because of anticipated landslides, flooding and blocked roads.
“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.”
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The storm already has dropped heavy rain in the Dominican Republic, where schools and government offices were ordered to remain closed on Monday in four of nine provinces still under red alert. The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
Melissa damaged more than 750 homes across The Dominican Republic , displacing more than 3,760 people. Floodwaters also have cut access to at least 48 communities, officials said.
In Haiti, the storm destroyed crops in three regions, including 37 acres of maize at a time when at least 5.7 million people, more than half the country’s population, is experiencing crisis levels of hunger, with 1.9 million of those facing emergency levels of hunger.
“Flooding is obstructing access to farmland and markets, jeopardizing harvests and the winter agricultural season,” the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization said.
Melissa was expected to keep dumping torrential rain over southern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic in upcoming days.
