"Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 strength Monday as it neared Jamaica with up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain and a life-threatening storm surge. Melissa is forecast to make landfall on the island Tuesday and cross Cuba and the Bahamas through Wednesday. Melissa was centered about 130 miles (205 kilometers) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 315 miles (505 kilometers) south-southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph) and was moving west at 3 mph (6 kph), the center said."
"Some local areas of eastern Jamaica could get 40 inches (1 meter) of rain while western Haiti could get 16 inches (40 centimeters), according to hurricane center. "Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely," it warned. The slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing."
Hurricane Melissa strengthened to Category 5 with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph) while moving slowly west at about 3 mph (6 kph). The storm was located roughly 130 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 315 miles south-southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba. Forecasts called for up to 30 inches (76 cm) of rain and a life-threatening storm surge in Jamaica, with some eastern areas possibly receiving 40 inches (1 meter). Western Haiti could see about 16 inches (40 cm). The slow-moving hurricane has already caused multiple deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Hurricane warnings covered several eastern Cuban provinces and officials warned of catastrophic flash flooding, numerous landslides, and major cleanup and damage challenges ahead.
Read at www.npr.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]