Tropical Storm Melissa, soon a hurricane, brings death, floods to Caribbean

As it strengthens toward Jamaica, the slow-moving but deadly Tropical Storm Melissa, which has already claimed four lives and is threatening catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean.

Before making landfall across central Jamaica on Tuesday, Melissa is expected to become a significant hurricane, possibly by later Saturday or Sunday. Forecasters predict that the system will dump up to 89 centimeters (35 inches) of rain across Haiti.

Recommended Stories

list of 2 itemsend of list

Jamaica could experience hurricane conditions for more than 72 hours due to the storm’s crawling speed, which the hurricane’s 3.1 miles per hour on Friday, and southwestern Haiti, where forecasters have described flash flooding as life-threatening.

According to officials, two people were killed in a landslide in Port-au-Prince and another was killed in Marigot when a falling tree hit them in Haiti. In the Dominican Republic, one person has died, and another is still missing.

Residents of Jamaica should be prepared for a “double effect” as the hurricane’s eye passes over the island, with the strongest winds coming from opposite sides of the center, according to Jamaica’s Meteorological Service principal director Evan Thompson.

The forecast represents a significant change from the previous week’s “slim chance” landfall.

Airports will close once a hurricane warning is issued, according to authorities, who have prepared more than 650 emergency shelters throughout Jamaica. The incoming storm posed a serious threat, according to Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ warning to the general public. Take all precautions possible, he advised.

In the Dominican Republic, nearly 200 homes have been damaged and more than half a million people have been left without water as a result of the storm.

Families were forced to flee rising floodwaters on Thursday evening from the capital’s Los Rios neighborhood, Santo Domingo, after nearby streams allegedly burst their banks.

More than 20 Dominican towns are still without water because of floodwaters, which has forced forced school closures nationwide and forced evacuations.

The situation in Port-au-Prince is particularly dire for the thousands of people who have been displaced by gang violence and are now living in dorms under no cover. Nephtali Johnson Pierre, a journalist for The Associated Press, stated, “I’m dealing with two storms: the gangs and the weather.”

The Tiburon Peninsula in Haiti, which could receive up to 89 cm (35 inches) of rain through Tuesday, was advised by the United States National Hurricane Center.