Residents of the southeast coast of Cuba are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Melissa, which reached the rare category 5 with winds of more than 250 km/h. The phenomenon is expected to reach the continent on Tuesday night (28).
Authorities issued alerts for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguín. The forecast is for up to 500 millimeters of rain and a life-threatening storm surge, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
Authorities also asked residents to finish preparations immediately. Schools and public establishments have been closed, and emergency teams are on standby as the island awaits the impact.
It must be the strongest hurricane to hit Cuba in history. The storm has already hit parts of Haiti, the Dominican Republic and .
At least three deaths were reported in Haiti due to the storm, two of which resulted from a landslide, Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency said in a statement.
In , at least one person died and more than a thousand were evacuated or displaced, authorities reported on Friday (24).
