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KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 spot Monday arsenic it neared Jamaica with up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rainfall and a life-threatening tempest surge.
Melissa is forecast to marque landfall connected the land Tuesday and transverse Cuba and the Bahamas done Wednesday.
Melissa was centered astir 130 miles (205 kilometers) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and astir 315 miles (505 kilometers) south-southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, the U.S. National Hurricane Center successful Miami said.
The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph) and was moving westbound astatine 3 mph (6 kph), the halfway said.
Category 5 is the highest connected the Saffir-Simpson standard with sustained winds exceeding 157 mph (250 kph). Melissa is the strongest hurricane successful caller past to straight deed the tiny Caribbean nation.
Some section areas of eastbound Jamaica could get 40 inches (1 meter) of rainfall portion occidental Haiti could get 16 inches (40 centimeters), according to hurricane center. “Catastrophic flash flooding and galore landslides are likely,” it warned.
The slow-moving tempest has killed astatine slightest 3 radical successful Haiti and a 4th idiosyncratic successful the Dominican Republic, wherever different idiosyncratic remains missing.
“I privation to impulse Jamaicans to instrumentality this seriously,” said Desmond McKenzie, lawman president of Jamaica's Disaster Risk Management Council. “Do not gamble with Melissa. It’s not a harmless bet.”
The hurricane was expected to marque different landfall aboriginal Tuesday successful eastbound Cuba. A hurricane informing was successful effect for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin provinces, portion a tropical tempest informing was successful effect for Las Tunas. Up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rainfall were forecast for parts of Cuba, on with a important tempest surge on the coast.
A grounds tempest for Jamaica
Melissa could beryllium the strongest hurricane Jamaica has experienced successful decades, said Evan Thompson, main manager astatine Jamaica's meteorological service. He warned that cleanup and harm appraisal would beryllium severely delayed due to the fact that of anticipated landslides, flooding and blocked roads.
In summation to the rainfall, Melissa is apt to origin a life-threatening tempest surge connected Jamaica's confederate coast, peaking astir 13 feet (4 meters) supra crushed level, adjacent and to the eastbound of wherever the halfway of Melissa makes landfall, the U.S. halfway said.
“Don’t marque foolish decisions,” warned Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s transport minister. “We are successful a very, precise superior clip implicit the adjacent fewer days.”
A deed connected Hispaniola
The tempest already has dropped dense rainfall successful the Dominican Republic, wherever schools and authorities offices were ordered to stay closed connected Monday successful 4 of 9 provinces inactive nether reddish alert.
Melissa damaged much than 750 homes crossed the country, displacing much than 3,760 people. Floodwaters besides person chopped entree to astatine slightest 48 communities, officials said.
In neighboring Haiti, the tempest destroyed crops successful 3 regions, including 15 hectares (37 acres) of maize astatine a clip erstwhile astatine slightest 5.7 cardinal people, much than fractional of the country’s population, is experiencing situation levels of hunger, with 1.9 cardinal of those facing exigency levels of hunger.
“Flooding is obstructing entree to farmland and markets, jeopardizing harvests and the wintertime cultivation season,” the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization said.
Melissa was expected to support dumping torrential rainfall implicit confederate Haiti and the confederate Dominican Republic successful upcoming days.
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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
