Hurricane Melissa, now a powerful Category 5 storm, is bearing down on Jamaica and is forecast to be the worst storm in the island’s history.
Dangerous winds, rain, flooding and storm surge are in the forecast, with the worst of the destruction unfolding from noon on Monday to noon on Tuesday. Landfall is expected late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
The strongest hurricane on record to make landfall over Jamaica was Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, a Category 4 hurricane, with sustained winds of 130 mph. As of Monday morning, Melissa was classified as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 160 mph.
The 24 hours from midday on Monday to midday on Tuesday are forecast to be the most destructive for the island. The worst of the storm is expected to have passed over Jamaica by Wednesday morning.
