Hurricane Melissa slams Jamaica
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Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, has pledged an initial $2.5 million through his foundation to aid Hurricane Melissa relief efforts across Jamaica and the Caribbean.
Jamaica is bracing for potentially its strongest storm to ever impact the island, as the slow-moving, major Category 5 hurricane closes in. AccuWeather's Leslie Hudson reports from Lake County, FL, where 16 inches of rain in 6 hours triggered a rare flash flood emergency, washing out roads and flooding homes.
It also marks the first time in 20 years that three or more Category 5 hurricanes have developed over the Atlantic Basin in one season. The last time was in 2005, when Hurricanes Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma all reached Category 5—breaking a record.
Hurricane Melissa approached Jamaica as a powerful Category 5 storm as forecasters warned it would cause catastrophic flash flooding, life-threatening landslides and extremely strong winds across the Caribbean. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami warned people in Jamaica to go to shelters and stay there during the storm.
Hurricane Melissa barreled into Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm with some of the fastest winds and strongest intensities ever recorded. The storm blew through the Caribbean island’s southwestern coast,