Hurricane Melissa threatens to devastate Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti

Hurricane Melissa, which formed as a tropical storm last week in the Caribbean Sea, has reached category 5, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned this Monday that the combination of destructive winds, storm surge and catastrophic flooding will worsen in Jamaica in the coming hours.

The island awaits the direct impact between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Authorities estimate that one million people are currently without water supplies in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where the hurricane has already caused heavy rain and flooding.

Between both countries, which share the island of Hispaniola, at least four deaths have been confirmed. In Haiti, three people died in the context of torrential rainfall and landslides. In the Dominican Republic, the identified victim is a 79-year-old man swept away by the current in Santo Domingo.

In Jamaica, the Government has ordered mandatory evacuations in coastal areas and at-risk communities. The prime minister Andrew Holness He asked the population to remain in shelters or safe housing.

In a message spread on the social network X, he encouraged people to “follow all official instructions without exception.” He added that the Executive is mobilizing resources for emergency care, although he acknowledged that there are likely to be prolonged power outages and communications.

Melissa is moving at about four miles per hour, an unusually slow pace. This characteristic increases the danger, according to specialists, because it prolongs the time of exposure to extreme rains in specific areas.

The NHC predicts accumulations of between 38 and 76 centimeters in large areas of Jamaica, with local peaks of up to one meter. Soil saturation and mountainous relief increase the risk of landslides and flash floods.

The forecast trajectory places the core of the hurricane very close to Jamaica overnight, with a subsequent movement towards Cuba on Tuesday afternoon and towards the southern Bahamas on Wednesday. Cuban authorities have activated contingency plans in the eastern provinces and have recommended securing homes, warehouses and boats.

Climatology experts have noted that Melissa’s rapid intensification is linked to anomalously high water temperatures in the region. The teacher Stephen Mullensfrom the University of Florida, explained to The New York Times that the storm has remained almost stationary over warm waters for several days, allowing it to gain energy.

For his part, the researcher Phil Klotzbachfrom Colorado State University, reminded the same newspaper that the trend towards the slowdown of tropical cyclones has been observed since the mid-20th century, a phenomenon to which a greater destructive capacity is attributed due to accumulation of rain.

The NHC has insisted that the situation can deteriorate quickly and has asked Jamaicans not to leave shelters until explicitly instructed to do so by authorities.

The possibility of road closures and isolation of communities is high. Emergency teams remain deployed, but access to some areas is expected to be blocked for hours or days, depending on the evolution of the hurricane.