Hurricane Melissa has intensified into a category 5 storm as it approaches Jamaica, bringing threats of catastrophic flooding, landslides, and widespread damage. The US National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening winds, storm surge, and flooding expected to hit the island late Monday and into Tuesday.
The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 175mph (280km/h), was moving northwest at just 2mph (4km/h) on Monday night. It is forecast to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday before reaching Cuba later in the day and then heading toward the Bahamas. Melissa has already been blamed for seven deaths in the northern Caribbean.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said he had been "on my knees in prayer" in anticipation of the damage. Mandatory evacuations were ordered in flood-prone communities, with buses ferrying people to shelters, though some residents insisted on staying. Officials expressed concern that fewer than 1,000 people were in the more than 130 shelters open across the island.
Parts of eastern Jamaica could see up to 30 inches (76cm) of rain, while western Haiti could get 16 inches (40cm), raising the risk of catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides. Storm surge inundation of up to 13 feet (4 metres) was predicted for parts of Jamaica's south coast.
In Cuba, a hurricane warning was in effect for several provinces, with up to 20 inches (51cm) of rain forecast. Cuban officials said they would evacuate more than 600,000 people from the region, including Santiago, the island's second-largest city.
Some Jamaicans chose to remain in their homes despite the warnings. Jamal Peters, a hotel manager in Port Royal, said, "Jamaicans on the whole aren't the type of people who would just get up and leave their home. They'd prefer to stay."
