Santo Domingo.- The inhabitants of Jamaica suffered the direct blows of Hurricane Melissa, which according to forecasts would cause destructive winds and catastrophic flooding as it passed through the Caribbean.
In the early hours of Monday, Melissa reached category 5, the maximum intensity on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with maximum winds exceeding 280 kilometers per hour, according to the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Hundreds of thousands of people in Jamaica are without electricity due to the impact of Hurricane Melissa, authorities reported.
As of 4 pm (local time), more than 530,000 Jamaicans do not have electricity, DesmondMcKenzie, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, indicated this Tuesday.
Since Saturday there were already large waves reaching the coast of Jamaica and the island is expected to experience
a powerful storm surge on Tuesday.
Towards Cuba
After Melissa moves away from Jamaica, Cuba is next in line to face the force of the powerful hurricane. It is expected to make landfall very early this Wednesday morning, probably a couple of hours after midnight, but the impacts have already begun.
Heavy rains are moving over southeastern Cuba and tropical storm force winds are moving further inland this afternoon.
Hurricane-force winds will arrive tonight, hours before Melissa makes landfall as a Category 4 hurricane or a high-intensity Category 3.
Since the weekend, the Jamaican coasts have been experiencing strong waves, and a large storm surge is expected.
Faced with the threat, the Government of Jamaica ordered the evacuation of several areas of the capital, Kingston, closed the two international airports and declared the entire territory “threatened.” The core of the hurricane is expected to move over or very near southeastern Cuba and the Bahamas in the coming hours.
Damage in the region
The passage of the hurricane already leaves a trail of damage and displacement in the region. In Haiti, more than 2,000 people were sheltered in schools and community centers set up as emergency shelters.
According to Yannig Dussart, deputy representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), 20 schools and high schools were opened in municipalities such as Les Cayes, Coteaux, Jean du Sud and Îleà-Vache, where the main needs are shelter, drinking water, sanitation and food.
hurricane hunter plane
In the middle of the phenomenon’s monitoring mission, a United States hurricane hunting plane was forced to return to its base in Curacao after experiencing “stronger than normal” turbulence when entering the eye of the cyclone.
The aircraft, from the US Air Force’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, was not damaged but was temporarily removed for a routine inspection.
Melissa, the most intense cyclone of the current Atlantic season, generates accumulated rainfall of between 38 and 76 centimeters over Jamaica, with maximums of up to one meter, which has led the NHC to warn of flash flooding and widespread landslides.
The agency expects it to maintain its extreme intensity before crossing southeastern Cuba this Wednesday and advancing towards the Bahamas on Thursday.
Dominican Republic In the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet) reported that the phenomenon continues as a category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 280 km/h and higher gusts.
It is located about 180 kilometers west-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and 465 kilometers southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, moving slowly north/northeast at a speed of 7 km/h.
During the morning hours of Tuesday, rains, thunderstorms and gusts of wind affected provinces in the Dominican southwest such as Pedernales, Barahona, Azua, Baoruco, Independencia and San Juan, as well as sectors of the Central mountain range and the southeast, including San José de Ocoa, Peravia, San Cristóbal and Greater Santo Domingo.
In the afternoon and evening, the rainy activity extended towards San Pedro de Macorís, Monte Plata,
Hato Mayor, Monseñor Nouel and Sánchez Ramírez, mainly in areas under weather alert.
The authorities recommend maintaining preventive measures against possible floods
Education
—Schools
The Dominican Government reported that around 63 schools located in vulnerable areas
of the country received damage to fences and perimeter meshes.
Impact
Melissa left extensive damage to homes, agriculture, aqueducts and other infrastructure.
