Hurricane Melissa, classified as category 5 with sustained winds of 280 km/h and gusts exceeding 300 km/h, is advancing inexorably towards Jamaica and eastern Cuba with forecasts of “very intense” rains and “catastrophic” storm surges, as warned by renowned meteorologist José Rubiera.
The National Forecast Center of Cuba warns that the cyclone, with an eye of 16-18 km in diameter, will dump accumulated 400 mm of rain in areas such as Granma, saturating already flooded soils and causing “unprecedented” flooding, added the expert on Monday night in the star broadcast of the National Television News.
The Cuban east in Melissa’s sights
Rubiera explained that the hurricane, trapped between two anticyclones, will accelerate its movement towards eastern Cuba from early Tuesday morning, with emphasis on Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo.
The winds will mainly affect the areas where the center of the hurricane passes, but the outer bands will impact as far as Camagüey. In addition, soils already saturated by recent rains increase the risk of flooding and landslides in the eastern territories. On the southern coast of Granma and Santiago de Cuba, the sea already has waves of 2.5 to 4 meters, while the Pilón radar, located on the El Mamey hill, in the Sierra Maestra, detects cloud cover up to 15 km high, which anticipates extreme conditions.
Dr. Rubiera also warned that the eye of the hurricane does not mark the end of the danger: “Seeing the moon does not mean that the cyclone has passed.” He also warned about dry rivers that can become torrents in minutes and emphasized: “No one should approach the sea; a wall of water will destroy everything in its path,” referring to the dangerous cyclonic upwelling.
“What is going to happen very quickly, relatively quickly, so to speak. And then we must remember, in addition to that, that I told them that the hurricane is not a point, but rather a large area,” insisted the specialist, an icon of climate forecasting on the island and known to television audiences since 1981, when he began his first appearances.
Measures before the imminent arrival of the hurricane
Faced with the threat of Hurricane Melissa, category 5, the coastal municipality of Gibara in Holguín prioritized the protection of key economic sectors, such as the Alcides Pino Bermúdez shipyard (Astinor), where 45 vessels and other smaller vessels were secured, said a report of the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
Among the actions implemented, means of transportation such as motorcycle taxis were secured and food supplies were secured in three main warehouses located in Gibara and Velasco.
The Inejiro Asanuma spinning mill, in charge of manufacturing medical materials, will maintain its operations during the emergency to guarantee the supply of hospital supplies. These measures seek to minimize the impact on the local economy and ensure the continuity of vital services.
Information and evacuation of the population
To keep the population informed, given the prolonged power outages, work groups were deployed to carry out house-to-house visits, communicating the risks associated with the hurricane. Thanks to this effort, more than 21 thousand people were identified in areas vulnerable to flooding, who are being gradually transferred to protection centers or safe homes.
In addition, 12 food processing centers were activated and coordinated with shelters to guarantee the sustenance of those affected.
Transfer of tourists and hotel protection
In the tourism sector, nearly 1,900 visitors were evacuated from Holguín hotels and transferred to safe destinations, while the Brisas Guardalavaca hotel remains operational with strict security measures for guests who decided to stay.
Yuset Vargas Ricardo, Tourism delegate in the province, highlighted the coordination with airports and interprovincial transportation to guarantee an orderly return of tourists and crews.
Alert and preparation in Camagüey
In Camagüey, meteorological authorities warned of possible effects due to tropical storm rains and winds, urging the population to remain attentive to official reports.
Beatriz Martínez Pérez, director of the local Meteorological Center, emphasized the importance of following the Civil Defense guidelines to avoid human losses.
With Melissa approaching the southeast coast, preventive measures were reinforced, especially in coastal areas vulnerable to storm surge and strong winds.
For its part, the National Defense Council activated the “alarm phase” in six provinces, mobilizing 650 thousand people.
Jamaica: first impact of a meteorological monster
Jamaica is experiencing hours of anguish while Melissa was located at the end of this Monday night 245 km southwest of Kingston, heading north. The government reports three deaths during preparations—including one from tree felling—and 50,000 people without electricity, international news agencies reported from the capital of the Caribbean island.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness admitted that “no infrastructure is prepared for a category 5 hurricane,” while the MET – Meteorological Service of Jamaica – predicts 750 mm of rain, a figure that could saturate the rain gauges.
Despite evacuation orders, residents like Roy Brown in Port Royal are resisting: “I will not escape death.” Jennifer Ramdial, a fisherman, added: “Even if it was category 6, I wouldn’t move.”
The authorities have set up 881 shelters, but distrust in their capacity – added to previous experiences – complicates evacuations.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Christopher Tufton confirmed that coastal hospitals such as Black River are at risk. Although a 3.6-meter sea wall was built, patients were relocated to upper floors due to the threat of storm surge.
Evan Thompson-Meadows, director of the Jamaica Meteorological Office (MET), stressed that “a significant impact is expected” from Melissa, which will make landfall in Jamaica at a point in the southwest of the island this Tuesday morning, the executive stressed.
At least three people have died in Haiti and 16 have been injured; 10 houses were damaged and 450 homes flooded during Melissa’s passage through Haiti, based on the latest balance reported this Sunday by the Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC), a dispatch from the Spanish agency EFE.
In the Dominican Republic, one million people remain without drinking water as a result of the rainfall caused by the hurricane, which will continue to generate significant rains in the coming days. The storm has left one person dead and has forced 3,785 people from their homes.
