Disaster Preparedness and Response - Over 1800 shelters are open across the country, with 700 persons sheltered in Kingston [2] - Nearly 200 homeless persons have been taken into shelters [2] - Mitigation programs and final steps to ensure public and infrastructure safety have been completed [3] - Secondary communication equipment is in place to maintain contact with officials [10] Potential Impact and Concerns - Expecting a catastrophic event with susceptibility to landslides and flooding [4][5] - Concerns about communities being cut off due to landslides and wind volatility [5] - Critical to ensure homes are intact and supplies are available [6] - Aiming to minimize flooding in critical areas to prevent people from being marooned, injured, or dead [7] Aid and Cooperation - The government of Jamaica has been in touch with the United States and the Jamaican diaspora [13] - A platform has been opened for donations to Jamaica through the government [13] - Expecting to receive, monitor, and distribute aid supplies with international partners [14]

Hurricane Melissa's Impact and Forecast - Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, is expected to be the strongest ever to hit Jamaica [1] - The storm's slow pace of 7 mph raises concerns about widespread flooding [1] - Jamaica is bracing for major power and communication outages [3] - Winds are expected to reach 180 mph, worsening power and communication issues [4] - Eastern Cuba is preparing for floods and overflowing rivers, with 600,000 people evacuated [5][6] Potential Damage and Humanitarian Crisis - Jamaica is preparing for a worst-case scenario, as no infrastructure can withstand the storm's force [4] - The slow-moving hurricane poses a significant threat of landslides and floods [8] - Rainfall of 2 to 4 feet is expected in some areas of Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba [12] - Wind gusts of up to 180 mph and sustained winds of 185 mph could destroy homes [13] - Storm surge could reach up to 15 feet, turning streets into rivers [14]

Watch live as Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, makes landfall in Jamaica and is expected to bring "catastrophic and life-threatening winds, flooding and storm surge," forecasters say. For more context and news coverage of the most important stories of our day click here: https://www.msnbc.com/ » Subscribe to MSNBC: https://www.youtube.com/msnbc » Subscribe to MSNBC on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@msnbc » Subscribe to MSNBC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/msnbc Download our new MSNBC app for t ...

Overnight conditions here in Kingston rapidly deteriorating. Some rain rain, some wind, some debris already falling. You can see here that is starting to become more and more apparent across the island.Roads are also starting to flood. And unfortunately, Melissa has already claimed lives even before making landfall. And one thing to note here in Kingston, the airport is barely above sea level.So that could be a real challenge if you start to see some of that storm surge. And the roads and infrastructure her ...

[Music] What of Jamaica is bracing for catastrophic impacts. Hurricane Melissa strengthening to a powerful category 5 hurricane and expected to make landfall in Jamaica in the coming hours. The storm has already produced winds of 160 m per hour, the most dangerous on the hurricane scale, and the conditions are only supposed to intensify.The island expecting up to 40 ines of rain, so major flooding expected. Last night, one of Jamaica's government ministers delivered this stark warning. >> If you listen to w ...

Urgent preps underway in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa barrels towards the island. The storm expected to bring catastrophic rain and flooding. Jamaican authorities today clearing beaches.>> It's a very dangerous hurricane that is approaching us and we want to make sure that every Jamaican is safe. >> In floodprone communities, buses have already been staged for those that want to evacuate. The weather threat shutting down the nation's airports.Melissa leaving a path of destruction across the Caribbean, killi ...

Tonight, urgent preps underway in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa barrels towards the island. The storm expected to bring catastrophic rain and flooding. Jamaican authorities today clearing beaches.>> It's a very dangerous hurricane that is approaching us and we want to make sure that every Jamaican is safe. >> Travis Row plans to ride out the storm at home. We really are just trying to prepare at best and weather the storm here.>> In floodprone communities, buses have already been staged for those that want t ...

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a dangerous category 4 storm, taking dead aim at Jamaica. The storm's outer bands already responsible for several deaths in Haiti and expected to cause potentially deadly flooding and mudslides once it hits. ...

because it's moving so slowly. This slow motion is going to really cause a problem. These bright purples, which include Jamaica and the western tip of Haiti, 20 to 30 inches of rain.So, that kind of rain is going to cause catastrophic catastrophic flooding. You're really looking at probably widespread power outages and disruption of communication for Jamaica. the inability to move around.Talking about mudslides and flooding, impassable roads, cut off communities. really a very very concerning situation unfo ...

Tonight, the desperate search for 65 people still missing after catastrophic floods swept through Mexico. 64 people confirmed killed as days of torrential rain pounded the central and eastern parts of the country, pushing rivers past their limits. A wall of water washing away homes and swallowing up cars.Epiphany Hernandez in the state of Veraracruz says people are trapped, adding she, her family, and others have been left with nothing. Local authorities there say the Kasan River rose nearly 5 ft in just a ...