Category 5 Hurricane Melissa to Bring Devastating Wind + Flooding Combination to Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa has exploded into a monster Category 5 hurricane in the western Caribbean, churning just southwest of Jamaica this morning with sustained winds near 160 mph and a central pressure down to 913 mb.

The storm has a menacing look on satellite with a tight, perfectly symmetric eye surrounded by a solid ring of deep convection, and it’s headed for a devastating encounter with Jamaica later today into tonight.

Melissa’s track is forecast to take the storm across eastern Cuba and the southeastern Bahamas by midweek. That means multiple island chains are now staring down the potential for catastrophic impacts.

For Jamaica, the forecast is grim. Hurricane-force winds are expected to reach the island soon, with mountainous terrain amplifying gusts across the interior. Rainfall totals of 15–30 inches, with isolated peaks around 40 inches, will lead to devastating flash flooding and landslides, particularly in the island’s hilly central and eastern regions. On the south coast, a storm surge of 9 to 13 feet is possible near and east of where the eye passes which may inundate coastal communities and ports.

Farther north, eastern Cuba, the southeastern Bahamas, and the Turks & Caicos are next in line, facing the full spectrum of tropical hazards — destructive winds, life-threatening storm surge, and widespread flooding rains.

What makes Melissa especially dangerous is the combination of intensity and geography. A Category 5 hurricane moving over warm Caribbean waters and toward steep island terrain creates a “multi-hazard” threat: not just wind damage, but massive rainfall-induced flooding and landslides. Every element of the storm is destructive on its own — together, they’re catastrophic.

For more information visit the National Hurricane Center here: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Levi Cowan always has extremely informative updates and great graphics at: https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/