Hurricane Melissa intensified into a category 5 storm on Monday, threatening catastrophic winds and flooding across the northern Caribbean. Jamaica's government ordered mandatory evacuations for vulnerable areas, including parts of the capital, Kingston.
Jamaican officials closed both international airports and activated 881 shelters. Local government minister Desmond McKenzie warned that many communities would not survive the flooding, stating that no area of Kingston was immune. Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged Jamaicans to take the threat seriously and issued evacuation orders for Port Royal, Old Harbour Bay, and five other vulnerable locations.
The US National Hurricane Centre reported Melissa was located about 125 miles south-southwest of Kingston, with maximum sustained winds of 145mph. It was moving west at 5mph, with up to 30 inches of rain expected in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola. Experts warned that the slow movement and rapid intensification could lead to a record-breaking disaster.
Some residents in Port Royal refused to leave, citing safety concerns in shelters. Ann Marie Chamberlain, 51, said she felt safer at home, recalling a past experience where belongings were stolen at a shelter. Derrick Powell, 42, echoed her sentiments, saying residents who had used shelters would never return.
Melissa is expected to move towards Cuba by late Tuesday, bringing up to 300mm of rain, before reaching the Bahamas. The storm has already killed three people in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, with another person missing. In Haiti, flooding and a destroyed bridge were reported.
