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Floods

Hurricane Melissa Brings Catastrophic Flooding to Northern Caribbean

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Hurricane Melissa continued to strengthen late Sunday, bringing a threat of catastrophic flooding to parts of the northern Caribbean, including Jamaica and Haiti. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that the storm could grow even stronger, possibly reaching Category 5 status by Monday, with maximum sustained winds expected to exceed 157 mph (250 kph). Jamaica and Haiti were bracing for impact, with the NHC projecting storm surge heights of up to 13 feet (4 meters) above ground level.

Key Takeaways:

  • Hurricane Melissa is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, and is forecast to pass near or over Jamaica early Tuesday before sweeping across Cuba and into the southeastern Bahamas by Wednesday.
  • The NHC warned of torrential rainfall totaling up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola, with isolated areas potentially receiving as much as 40 inches (1 meter), causing "extensive damage to infrastructure, power and communication outages, and the isolation of communities."
  • The Cuban government has issued a hurricane warning for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, and Holguin, and a tropical storm warning for Las Tunas.
  • At least four lives have been claimed by Hurricane Melissa, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, with Haitian authorities reporting that three people died and five were injured after a wall collapsed.
  • Jamaica's main airports were closed, and residents in the seaside community of Old Harbour Bay were ordered to evacuate, with officials warning that the southern side of the island would bear the brunt of the storm surge.

Statistics:

  • The NHC projected storm surge heights of up to 13 feet (4 meters) above ground level.
  • The NHC warned of torrential rainfall totaling up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola.
  • Isolated areas in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola could receive as much as 40 inches (1 meter) of rainfall.
  • The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
  • At least four lives have been claimed by Hurricane Melissa.

Sources:

  • Associated Press news agency
  • US National Hurricane Center (NHC)
  • Jamaican Meteorological Service
  • The Cuban government
  • Haitian authorities
  • Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Hindustan Times.

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