Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 5 storm as it churned northwest through the Caribbean Sea toward Jamaica.
Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 5 storm as it churned northwest through the Caribbean Sea toward Jamaica on Monday, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
With torrential rainfall over the next few days, both Jamaica and the island of Hispaniola — consisting of Haiti and the Dominican Republic — could receive 15 to 30 inches of rain.
Some parts of the southern peninsula of Haiti and Jamaica potentially could receive up to 40 inches of rain, likely resulting in catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding, as well as numerous landslides.
The National Hurricane Center on Monday upgraded Hurricane Melissa to a Category 5 hurricane as the storm approached the coast of Jamaica.
The NHC reported sustained winds of 160 mph for the hurricane, which is located 130 miles from the Jamaican capital of Kingston and moving west at 3 mph.
