Hurricane Melissa Intensifies, Threatens Cuba and Bahamas After Deadly Passage Through Caribbean
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Hurricane Melissa has strengthened to a Category 4 storm as Jamaica braces for impact and Cuba issues hurricane watches, following a trail of destruction through Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The storm, the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, is expected to bring up to 300mm of rain to Cuba by late Tuesday before moving towards the Bahamas late Wednesday.
In Jamaica, residents are preparing for the storm’s arrival, securing boats in Port Royal and stocking up on supplies. “Everybody is already preparing, we certainly know what it is indeed like,” said Derrick Powell, 42, a marketing manager. “We have heard about Hurricane Charlie. I experienced Gilbert and all the other storms… We don’t have any gullies or river to burst its banks. If a little water come up it’s maybe a few but by the time the rain ends it disappears.” Concerns remain, however, as some residents are reluctant to seek shelter, with past experiences leaving a negative impression. “Residents who have been [to shelters] say they will never go back,” Powell noted.
The storm has already claimed at least three lives in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, with another person missing in the latter country. Haiti is reporting rising river levels, flooding, and a destroyed bridge in Sainte-Suzanne. Dominican Republic officials report nearly 200 homes damaged, water supply systems disrupted affecting over half a million people, downed trees, landslides, and numerous communities isolated by floodwaters.
Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the hurricane center, described the situation as “increasingly dire,” forecasting the storm will move slowly for up to four days.
The Cuban government has issued a hurricane watch for the provinces of Granma,Santiago de Cuba,Guantánamo and Holguin. The Bahamas department of meteorology warns of potential tropical storm or hurricane conditions in the south-east and central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands by early next week.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an above-normal season, forecasting 13 to 18 named storms.
