It is possible that there will be a Jamaica before and after the hurricane, also highlighted the American broadcaster ABC
Hurricane Melissa, category 5, could be the strongest in history to hit Jamaica, with catastrophic effects. It is expected to arrive in the Caribbean on Monday night (27) or Tuesday morning, according to sources heard by American broadcaster ABC.
WHAT HAPPENED
Melissa could become the worst hurricane Jamaica has ever faced. Evacuation orders have already been issued for vulnerable coastal areas, according to the American network CNN. It is possible that there will be a Jamaica before and after the hurricane, the American broadcaster ABC also highlighted.
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Rainfall could reach a total of 102 cm over the next four days. The average for the month of October — one of the wettest of the year in Jamaica — in Kingston is 234 mm, according to the Jamaica Meteorological Service. But the forecast is that it will rain around 4.35 times the monthly average over the next four days.
The storm can also produce giant waves. Its combination with winds could cause “extensive infrastructure damage,” the National Hurricane Center warned. Waves can reach four meters.
Melissa moves slowly, which can make it even more dangerous. It has been moving west at just 4.8 km/h, meaning it will also stay longer destroying the island. Ideally, he would lose strength before that.
Hurricane has already killed three people in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic. It has gained almost 113 km/h in intensity in the last 24 hours alone.
“Explosion of strength” over the weekend occurred due to a combination of factors. Melissa’s slower movement over warm, deep waters coupled with strong winds high in the atmosphere.
Melissa could become even more powerful in the next 12h to 24h. The estimate is from several weather forecasting centers consulted by the British BBC.
Its winds already reach 265.5 km/h. Its epicenter is located just 233 km from the capital Kingston, the US National Hurricane Center reported this morning.
US government monitoring captured images of strong electrical activity in the eye of the hurricane this morning. Atmospheric pollution from burning fuels has created more systems that are rapidly intensifying and bringing more rain.
Warmer waters in the ocean due to climate change have increased the risk of rapid intensification of hurricanes. In other words, it becomes more difficult to evacuate potentially affected areas and prevent greater disasters.
IS JAMAICA READY FOR MELISSA?
Government announced that it erected 881 shelters across the country. Teams from the national bus service, the Jamaican Armed Forces and civil defense teams are leading the evacuations. “Go to shelters. Go to high places because this can save lives”, asked Jamaica’s Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda, at a press conference this Monday (27).
“Preparation time is over.” Samuda highlighted that now is the time to listen to these instructions from the authorities. Evacuations have been ordered for Kingston, but the entire island is under “threatened” status, according to the BBC.
Jamaicans should use resources sparingly. There may be a lack of water from Monday night (27), warned the minister, as transmission networks could be affected by the hurricane. “Every drop will count”, he warned. Therefore, he recommended that the population stock up on the water they have at home.
Minister believes that Jamaicans are better prepared than in the 1980s. “But when you talk about 265 km/h winds, we have never tested our new infrastructure in this way,” he said.
It has been 13 years since the last hurricane made landfall in Jamaica. It was Sandy, in 2012. However, the last category 4 (or stronger) to “land” on the island was Gilbert, in 1988, which killed at least 40 people. It had winds of 217.3 km/h when it touched down.
“There is no infrastructure that is built, I believe, anywhere in the world to navigate this type of risk. We expect that if it reaches our shores, we will be looking at significant damage,” said Matthew Samuda, Jamaica’s Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, at a press conference on Monday (27).
However, hurricanes don’t need to make landfall to do damage. Hurricane Beryl, category 4, proved this in July 2024. Much weaker than Melissa, it caused flooding, damage to homes, crops and other structures in the south of the island, in addition to killing four people and causing damage of US$1 billion (R$5.37 billion), according to a report from the hurricane center obtained by CNN.
All airports in Jamaica were closed this Sunday (26) in preparation for the arrival of Melissa. The announcement was made by the country’s Transport Minister, according to ABC.
Even Elon Musk offered support. Starlink, a satellite telecommunications subsidiary of the billionaire’s space company, SpaceX, offered its infrastructure to the government to maintain communication during and after the hurricane, also according to ABC.
WHAT IS A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE?
It is the strongest category on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale. It was created in 1970 by engineer Herbert Saffir and Robert Simpson, then director of the National Hurricane Center in the United States, inspired by the Richter scale, which measures the intensity of earthquakes.
