Tropical Storm Melissa is wreaking havoc in the Caribbean, leading to fatalities and injuries in Haiti, where an elderly man was killed by a fallen tree and five others were hurt due to flooding. As of Friday afternoon, Melissa was moving slowly southeast of Jamaica, with sustained winds of 60 mph and expected to strengthen. Heavy rains have caused severe flooding in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, prompting closures of schools and businesses.
Forecasts suggest Melissa could become a hurricane by Saturday and potentially a Category 4 storm by Tuesday, with predicted rain totals reaching 24 inches in some areas, raising concerns about catastrophic flooding in Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. The storm’s path remains uncertain, but it may temporarily slow before moving toward Cuba and the Bahamas.
Concerns about storm surge are generally low in Jamaica, though the Norman Manley International Airport could be at risk. Most Jamaican infrastructure is designed to withstand strong winds, but flooding poses a significant threat to roads and farmland. Long-term forecasts indicate Melissa could reach the eastern Bahamas before possibly moving north toward the U.S. or Canada.
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