Weather forecasters have issued a hurricane warning for the northern Caribbean as Storm Melissa has now strengthened into a hurricane.
The alert means the region could start feeling hurricane-force winds of at least 74 mph within the next day and a half.
Forecasters say Jamaica could be hit with up to 25 inches of torrential rainfall, which would increase the risk of dangerous flash floods.
Similar forecasts are in place for parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti through Monday, where areas could see as much as 35 inches of rain – especially across Haiti’s Tiburon Peninsula.
The center warned that severe flooding and life-threatening landslides are possible in the hardest-hit areas as the storm continues.
A Slow Moving Storm
The slow-moving system has already turned deadly. Officials in Haiti report that at least three people have died there, while authorities in the Dominican Republic say another person is missing and presumed dead.
Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, warned that communities in Melissa’s projected path face a growing threat, calling the situation “increasingly dire.”
With the storm barely inching forward, he noted that dangerous conditions could linger for several days.
As of the latest advisory, Melissa was positioned roughly 150 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 235 miles southwest of Haiti. The hurricane is moving northwest at just 1 mph, but still generating maximum sustained winds around 75 mph.
Forecasters say the storm’s center is on track to pass over or very close to Jamaica early next week, bringing the most dangerous conditions right to the island’s doorstep.
Melissa is expected to intensify quickly.
The storm is then expected to make its way toward eastern Cuba by early Wednesday, where it could unleash up to 12 inches of rain and trigger flash flooding.
Jamaican officials are already taking precautions.
The government announced Saturday that Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston will shut down operations at 8 p.m. local time. There has been no update yet on whether Sangster International Airport will follow suit.
Across Jamaica, more than 650 emergency shelters have been opened, and authorities say supply warehouses are fully stocked with food and other essentials in preparation for the coming days.
