Hurricane Melissa path: Tracking the devastating storm after landfall

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon as a Class 5 hurricane — one of the vital highly effective hurricane landfalls on file within the Atlantic basin.

Over the course of the day Tuesday, the storm was downgraded first to a Class 4 after which a Class 3 hurricane after landfall in Jamaica.

Right here is Melissa’s projected path: 

Melissa is now a Class 3 hurricane, with most sustained winds decreased to 125 mph because it makes its strategy to Cuba.

Catastrophic winds, flash flooding and storm surge continued to hit elements of Jamaica, which ought to be ready for in depth infrastructure injury and long-lasting energy outages.

Melissa is anticipated to make one other landfall over japanese Cuba in a single day.

It’s forecast to stay a serious and highly effective hurricane because it strikes northeastward throughout Cuba from Tuesday night time via Wednesday morning, then finally weaken throughout the Bahamas to a Class 2 hurricane by Wednesday afternoon.

By Wednesday night time, Melissa is forecast to be again over the open Atlantic earlier than approaching Bermuda by Thursday night as a doable Class 2 hurricane.

Melissa is bringing 15 inches to 30 inches of rain to Jamaica on Tuesday, with localized storm totals as much as 40 inches.

As much as 25 inches of rain is feasible for Cuba and as much as 10 inches doable for the Bahamas.

These totals might lead to life-threatening flash flooding with quite a few landslides doable in Jamaica and Cuba from Tuesday via Wednesday.

There’s the potential for vital storm surge as much as 12 ft alongside the southeast coast of Cuba from Tuesday night time into Wednesday, together with massive and harmful waves.

Storm surge within the southeastern Bahamas might attain as much as 8 ft on Wednesday.

The East Coast could expertise rip currents, tough surf and a few seaside erosion this week as Melissa heads out to sea.