catastrophic

Hurricane Melissa batters the Caribbean as Jamaica faces catastrophic landfall

In its latest advisory, the NHC described the storm as “catastrophic and life-threatening,” warning that conditions would intensify overnight. At 18:00 GMT Monday, Melissa was positioned around 145 miles (233 km) southwest of Kingston, moving west-northwest at only 3 mph (6 km/h). Experts said this sluggish movement increases the risk of excessive rainfall and flooding.