Category 5 Hurricane Melissa Batters Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of about 160–165 mph and is now battering Jamaica, prompting urgent warnings of catastrophic winds, storm surge and extreme rainfall. The slow-moving system could linger over the island and dump up to roughly 3 feet of rain in some areas, raising risks of catastrophic flooding, landslides, widespread infrastructural damage and long-lasting power and communications outages. Authorities, including Jamaica’s prime minister, warned a direct Category 5 landfall would be unprecedented and potentially devastating; residents have been sheltering as trees have fallen and communities have already been cut off. Melissa has already caused deadly flooding on Hispaniola and is forecast to move near or over southeastern Cuba, the Turks and Caicos and parts of the Bahamas before curving into the open Atlantic. Forecasters linked the storm’s rapid strengthening to unusually warm waters and broader climate-related factors; the U.S. East Coast is expected to see mainly rough surf and minor coastal flooding.