KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Tropical Melissa has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane, with forecasters warning that it could rapidly intensify into a major hurricane as it nears Jamaica.
At 2 p.m., the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Hurricane Melissa’s center was located about 145 miles (230 kilometers) southeast of Kingston, moving slowly toward the west-northwest at just 1 mile per hour (2 km/h).
Maximum sustained winds have reached 75 miles per hour (120 km/h), and forecasters say the system could strengthen significantly over the next 48 hours.
“Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica during the weekend and early next week,” the NHC said. “Rapid intensification is forecast to occur over the next couple of days, and Melissa is forecast to become a major hurricane by Sunday.”
A hurricane warning remains in effect for the entire island, meaning hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours. Authorities are urging Jamaicans to rush all preparations to completion before conditions deteriorate.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness is urging Jamaicans to take the impending weather threat seriously.
“You have nothing to lose even if it doesn’t come. If it doesn’t come and you’re prepared, fine, you have lost nothing. The greater loss is if you didn’t prepare and it came,” he reasoned.
While encouraging Jamaicans of faith to pray, Holness cautioned citizens living on gully banks, river courses, and areas that were flooded during Hurricane Beryl last year.
“Expect that this will happen again – that there will be flooding. Take the necessary measures. I have not yet said evacuate, but if we declare a disaster, evacuation orders will be in effect,” he said.
“During Beryl, I received the terrible news of a youngster, I believe, playing football and running after a ball, who fell into a gully and was washed away. I urge all Jamaicans to protect themselves. There’s no need to be playing football, no need to be climbing any trees. You have been given enough notice that this weather event is coming and that it could be disastrous, so take all measures to protect yourself,” the prime minister added.
He also reminded Jamaicans to pay attention to the bulletins and the updates. More than 881 shelters are on standby across the island to accommodate persons during and after the passage of the system.
Acting Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Richard Thompson, said on Friday that special attention is being given to critical parishes expected to be more affected by the storm based on its projected path, and that evacuations may be needed.
These parishes are St. Mary, Portland; St. Thomas, Kingston; and St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Clarendon; Manchester; St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland; and Hanover. Thompson noted that focus is being placed on areas within these critical parishes that tend to experience high levels of flooding during heavy rainfall.
“Within our evacuation protocols, transportation is critical. We have been having meetings with the transportation cell of the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC), and we have stated what we will be doing in terms of transportation if we have to do evacuations,” he said.
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