Jamaica and Haiti Face Severe Hurricane Threat

Hurricane Melissa is growing stronger and is expected to hit Jamaica and Haiti hard. This storm could become a Category 5 hurricane, which is the most severe level. The slow movement of the hurricane means it will bring a lot of rain and strong winds. The hurricane is currently about 130 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. It is moving very slowly, which makes the situation worse. The National Hurricane Center says the storm is getting stronger quickly. Rain and thunderstorms are already affecting Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba. Melissa will bring a lot of rain to Jamaica and Haiti. Up to 40 inches of rain could fall in some areas by Wednesday. This much rain can cause serious flooding and landslides, especially in hilly and mountainous regions. The National Hurricane Center warns that this could damage buildings, knock out power, and cut off communities. The storm surge, which is the rise in sea level caused by the hurricane, could be 9 to 13 feet high. This could flood parts of Kingston, including the airport. Heavy rain will also cause flooding in the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba. Melissa is expected to move slowly westward on Monday, then turn northeast and speed up. It will likely hit Jamaica on Tuesday, then move to eastern Cuba on Tuesday or Wednesday, and then pass through the southeast Bahamas or Turks and Caicos on Wednesday. It is still too early to know if it will affect Bermuda later in the week. Melissa is expected to reach Category 5 strength and could stay at least a Category 4 when it hits Jamaica. This could be a historic event because no Category 4 or 5 hurricane has directly hit Jamaica before. The National Hurricane Center has issued warnings for parts of southern Haiti, Jamaica, and eastern Cuba. These warnings mean that hurricane-force winds and tropical storm conditions are expected soon. The winds and flooding could cause a lot of damage and isolate communities. Melissa formed late Tuesday morning as the 13th storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. By Saturday afternoon, it became the fifth hurricane of the season. This is about average for this time of year. However, it is the first storm of the season to enter the Caribbean Sea.