Hurricane Melissa bears down on Jamaica
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Hurricane Melissa is set to bring catastrophic winds, flooding and storm surge to Jamaica, forecasters have warned.
If you are in the Philadelphia area and looking to help Jamaicans affected by Hurricane Melissa, the Jamaican consulate has opportunities.
South Florida is home to the highest concentration of Jamaicans in Florida, which has the second-largest Jamaican population in the country after New York. Read more: ‘I’m going to lose everything’: Jamaica farmers dread approach of Hurricane Melissa The cities of Miramar,
The two categories combined make up about 17 percent of all hurricanes in recorded history. Those reaching Category 5 — like Melissa — historically make up more like 4 percent of hurricanes. And fewer than half of the strongest two categories of hurricanes go on to hit land at such intensity.
Hurricane Melissa is among the strongest hurricanes to have formed in the Atlantic Ocean since records were kept, ranking as one the most powerful storms in terms of both wind strength and pressure.
The eyewall’s destructive winds may cause total structural failure, particularly in higher elevations, leading to widespread infrastructural damage, prolonged power and communication outages, and isolated communities.