Tropical Storm Melissa moved slowly over the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, posing a threat of hazardous landslides and life-threatening floods to Jamaica and the southern part of Hispaniola, which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The storm caused a fatal incident in southern Haiti where an elderly man died after a large tree fell on him in Marigot. Additionally, five individuals sustained injuries due to flooding in the central Artibonite region, as reported by the Civil Protection Agency. Authorities advised residents in flood-prone areas to relocate to higher ground.
The storm was situated approximately 345 kilometers southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 440 kilometers southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It had maximum sustained winds of 80 km/h and was moving northwest at 7 km/h, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. A hurricane watch was issued for Jamaica and the southwestern part of Haiti, while a tropical storm warning was in place for Jamaica.
Melissa was forecasted to linger over open waters but approach Jamaica and southwestern Haiti later in the week. There were expectations for significant strengthening by late Friday and through the weekend. AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert, Alex DaSilva, warned that the warm waters and slow movement of the storm could lead to a dangerous situation, with the potential for rapid intensification into a Category 5 hurricane.
Barbara Campbell, a resident of Kingston, Jamaica, expressed her concerns and shared that she had taken precautions by securing her home and stocking up on supplies. In Jamaica, preparations included the availability of 881 shelters as needed, closure of courts, and a shift to remote classes in schools. Furthermore, preventative measures such as the placement of 1,000 sandbags in eastern Kingston were implemented to mitigate flooding risks.
Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica’s Met Service, highlighted the possibility of up to 30 centimeters of rainfall in the island’s eastern region, emphasizing the significance of the expected precipitation. In the Dominican Republic, numerous individuals sought refuge in shelters, while educational institutions, businesses, and government offices remained closed in nine provinces on alert. Water supply systems were also impacted, affecting over 500,000 customers.
Concerns were raised about the potential impact of the storm on Haiti, a country vulnerable to natural disasters due to widespread erosion, gang violence, poverty, and governance challenges. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs allocated $4 million US to assist over 10,000 vulnerable individuals in Haiti with evacuation support, emergency shelter, cash transfers, and hygiene kits in anticipation of the storm.
Melissa marked the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and the first to develop in the Caribbean this year. The Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to Nov. 30, was projected by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to be above-normal, with estimates of 13 to 18 named storms, including five to nine hurricanes, and two to five major hurricanes with winds exceeding 178 km/h.
