Melissa: 5th most powerful Atlantic hurricane recorded, 3 dead, 13 injured in JA preparations

Hurricane Melissa is now recorded as the fifth most powerful storm on record in the Atlantic Ocean.

Latest reports as per The New York Times, the hurricane was nearing landfall as a Category 5 storm, with sustained winds reaching 185 miles per hour—just five miles short of the record for the most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded (Hurricane Allen in 1980) caused flash flooding and storm surges.

The article cited that rapid strengthening of Melissa prompted urgent warnings from officials, said the article. “Jamaica, this is not the time to be brave,” stated Desmond McKenzie, the disaster response coordinator. “Don’t bet against Melissa. It is a bet we can’t win.”

It also stated that the hurricane’s intense winds within the eye wall were so powerful that they could cause “total structural failure” and widespread outages of power and communications, the hurricane center reported on Monday.

At least three fatalities have been linked to storm preparations, with thirteen others reported injured. According to the Jamaica Observer, two of the deaths were attributed to falling trees, and one individual was electrocuted. The injuries resulted from accidental falls off ladders and roofs, etc… All incidents were related to storm preparation.

Fueled by the unusually warm waters of the Caribbean, Melissa is expected to remain a highly destructive force over the coming days as it traverses the region.

Meanwhile, the World Food Program has reportedly pre-positioned 450 metric tons of food in Haiti ahead of Melissa’s arrival—only a fraction of the usual standby stockpile, as many donors have shifted focus to crises in Gaza and Ukraine.