Jamaica could receive over 30 inches of rain from Hurricane Melissa - Thompson

Hurricane Melissa could dump more than 30 inches of rain on the island, roughly the height of an average car door, Principal Director of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson said, warning persons in flood-prone areas to leave.

“So this is tremendous rainfall that is bound to cause widespread flooding right across the country, and it is something to be noteworthy for all our communities. I believe there are flooding-prone areas in every parish of our country. You need to know if you're in a flood-prone area, if you're in a low-lying area, you need to take note," Thompson said at a news conference on Sunday.

“If you're near a river course or a gully, you also need to take special note and find some alternative location that you can move to should you be threatened by the heavy rainfall,” he said.

Thompson said there is a slight shift in the system, but it is still on course for a direct hit. Authorities have warned of catastrophic flooding and landslides.

Melissa is currently moving westward, south of Kingston, and is expected to turn north. Sections of the island are already experiencing rainfall, which is expected to increase throughout Saturday and into Sunday.

“It is expected to be a major hurricane continuing in this way, moving right across the island as a Category Four hurricane. That is what is projected. It could go for a brief period as a Category Five, that's yet to be seen, but right now, the forecast is that it will pass over Jamaica as a Category Four hurricane, and that is expected to start early on Tuesday or maybe very late on Monday, depending on how this system actually starts to move if it moves at any quicker pace,” Thompson said.

He added, “We're hoping that we'll see more shifts that will eventually take it off the country. But right now, the forecast is that we will be directly impacted by the eye, landfalling between Monday night and Tuesday morning, and it will move across us right through the day on Tuesday.”

The hurricane is currently moving slowly at approximately six km/h (three to four miles per hour).

Thompson said storm surges are expected mainly over the southern side of the island, particularly to the east of the centre as it approaches the south coast.

Parishes expected to be severely affected include Clarendon, parts of St Catherine, Kingston, and the western parts of St Thomas. “That's where we're expecting most of the storm surge,” he said, adding that waves could reach as high as 13 feet.

He noted that all preparations should have been completed and that persons should stay in a safe and secure place.

- Kimone Francis

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