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Disaster victims

Hurricane Melissa Brings Life-Threatening Flooding and Storm Surge to Caribbean Islands

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As Tropical Storm Melissa continued its slow and erratic march through the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, residents in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola were urged to seek higher ground, with officials warning of dangerous landslides and life-threatening flooding. The storm was responsible for downing a large tree in Haiti, killing an elderly man and injuring five others in the central Artibonite area. The storm's slow movement, coupled with the warm waters of the Caribbean, raised the risk of rapid intensification into a Category 5 hurricane.

Key Takeaways:

  • Tropical Storm Melissa was centered approximately 215 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and 275 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
  • A hurricane watch was in effect for Jamaica and the southwestern peninsula of Haiti, while a tropical storm warning was issued for Jamaica.
  • Officials in Jamaica announced that 881 shelters would be made available as needed, with courts and schools to switch to remote classes on Thursday.
  • In Haiti, dozens of people were already in shelters, with schools, businesses, and government agencies closed in nine provinces under alert.
  • The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has set aside $4 million to help over 10,000 vulnerable people in Haiti before the storm.

Statistics:

  • 215 miles (345 kilometers): distance of Tropical Storm Melissa from Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday.
  • 275 miles (440 kilometers): distance of Tropical Storm Melissa from Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Thursday.
  • 50 mph (80 kph): maximum sustained winds of Tropical Storm Melissa.
  • 5 mph (7 kph): speed of Tropical Storm Melissa on Thursday.
  • 881: number of shelters to be made available in Jamaica as needed.
  • $4 million: amount set aside by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to help over 10,000 vulnerable people in Haiti before the storm.
  • 139: suspected cholera cases reported in Haiti in one week.
  • 5: deaths reported due to cholera in Haiti in one week.

Sources:

  • The Associated Press
  • U.S. National Hurricane Center
  • AccuWeather
  • UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
  • U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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