Melissa’s gusts top 200+ mph cutting short NOAA reconnaissance mission

Hurricane Hunters from the NOAA was forced to cut short their reconnaissance mission of Hurricane Melissa after encountering severe turbulence — and 200-plus mph gusts — in the storm’s southwestern eyewall.

The rare decision to interrupt the mission took place on Monday after Melissa became a monster Category 5 hurricane and set its course towards Jamaica.

“The aircraft left the storm early after experiencing severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall,” NOAA said in a statement.

Forecasters say the hurricane will be near or over Jamaica late Monday night or early Tuesday, Oct. 28-29, crossing eastern Cuba Tuesday night into Wednesday, then moving near the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos by Wednesday.

The NOAA said even before the eye reaches Jamaica, impacts will be felt, with hurricane-force winds extending about 195 miles from the center. Moving at a slow pace of 3 miles per hour, Melissa is expected to bring prolong and steady impacts that could last for days.

Although the hurricane had not made landfall in Jamaica by Monday evening, authorities have reported at least three Melissa-related fatalities injuries, one of them a lightening strike.

Health Minister, Dr Christopher Tufton, told CVM TV news the person struck did not receive life-threatening injuries and one of the fatalities took place when a tree fell two days ago on a healthcare worker in the southern parish of St Elizabeth. He said the tree was being cut down in preparation for the storm.

“That individual tragically passed after been attended to at Black River and the University Hospital,” he said.

With Melissa taking aim at Jamaica, on late Monday afternoon the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a warning to the island.

“Jamaica: Do not venture out of your safe shelter,” It said in a statement. “Catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely today through Tuesday. Destructive winds, especially in the mountains, will begin by this evening.”

NHC forecasters said it will make no difference whether Melissa strikes Jamaica as a category 4 or 5 storm.

“There’s really no practical difference in Melissa making landfall in Jamaica at category 4 or 5 intensity, since both categories can produce catastrophic wind damage,” they said.