Hurricane Melissa continued to inch through the Caribbean on Saturday, gaining considerable strength on a path taking it to the west of Puerto Rico.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami upgraded Melissa to a category 3 major hurricane, with a predicted route taking it over Jamaica and then eastern Cuba before accelerating northeastward through portions of the Bahamas into the Atlantic.
The new forecast track is a little to the south and west of previous predictions.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) further warned that “[t]his remains a very serious situation, in terms of catastrophic rainfall, wind, and storm surge hazards for Jamaica, and preparations should be rushed to completion in the area currently under a Hurricane Warning.”
Specifically, people in Jamaica are being advised to seek shelter immediately. According to NOAA, a multi-day period of damaging winds and heavy rainfall has begun and is poised to cause catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and numerous landslides. Infrastructural damage, long-duration power and communication outages, and isolation of communities are predicted.
Catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides are also expected across southwestern Haiti into early next week, likely causing substantial infrastructural damage and isolation of communities. Wind damage could be extensive.
