Melissa Has Intensified Into A Major Hurricane

Melissa has intensified into a major hurricane: Melissa is forecast to continue intensifying into a Category 5 major hurricane in the next 48 hours. The storm poses a historic threat to parts of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. The storm is expected to bring life-threatening, destructive winds and torrential rainfall, likely leading to catastrophic flooding into early next week.

“Melissa exploded in intensity over the warm waters of the Caribbean. These waters have not been churned up by any other tropical storms or hurricanes this year. The warmest waters in the entire Atlantic basin have provided an abundance of energy for this hurricane to strengthen and unleash tremendous amounts of rain and powerful winds. Melissa could be the third storm of the season to reach Category 5 strength.”

“Some communities will endure several days of torrential rainfall and damaging winds. The catastrophic rainfall, destructive storm surge, and the storm’s slow movement will test Jamaica’s infrastructure. The strength and slow motion of this storm are a deadly combination.  Widespread flooding, road washouts, and mudslides, combined with power and communication outages, could leave some communities cut off for weeks.”

“Melissa is forecast to remain hundreds of miles off the U.S. East Coast, but impacts will still be felt at many beaches. Strong onshore winds and large waves from Melissa could bring rough surf and more beach erosion issues to the coastline from South Florida to the Northeast. A separate coastal storm could develop later this week, bringing rain and rough surf to beaches along the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Beaches left compromised by storms passing offshore earlier this season could take another hit this week and lose even more sand.”