At least three people have died from storm-related causes
UPDATED
SÃO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS) – Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica this Tuesday (28) as a maximum category phenomenon, according to the US National Hurricane Center. Earlier, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) stated that it expects a catastrophic situation in the Caribbean country, due to wind gusts exceeding 300 kilometers per hour, making it the worst storm to hit the island this century. The coast of the city of New Hope, in the west of the country, was the first region hit by the winds.
At least three people have already died from storm-related causes, the country’s authorities said. The Ministry of Health and Wellbeing reported that these deaths occurred during preparations for Hurricane Melissa, in a publication on the X network on Monday night.
“It is an expected catastrophic situation in Jamaica,” WMO tropical cyclone expert Anne-Claire Fontan said at a press conference in Geneva. “For Jamaica, it will certainly be the storm of the century.”
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The Category 5 storm, the strongest possible on the Saffir-Simpson scale, is expected to bring wind gusts of more than 300 km per hour and widespread devastation to the island, where authorities have ordered mandatory evacuations.
Waves of up to four meters are expected, she said, with rainfall expected to exceed 700mm, about double the amount normally expected throughout the rainy season. “That means there will be catastrophic flash floods and landslides,” she said.
This hurricane is only the second on record with winds approaching 300 km/h. The only other storm of this strength occurred before the phenomena were officially named, and was known as the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 — at the time, the winds caused widespread destruction in the Florida region and killed hundreds of people.
Melissa had already reported four other deaths during the week: three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where a teenager is missing.
The United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts that, after hitting Jamaica on Tuesday, the storm will cross eastern Cuba to head over the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos archipelago by Wednesday.
In Cuba, with difficulties in disseminating preventive information due to the lack of electricity, authorities are rushing preparations to receive the impacts of Melissa on Tuesday.
The National Defense Council declared on Monday the “alert phase” in the six eastern provinces (Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, Camagüey, Granma and Las Tunas). Authorities began evacuating around 650,000 people. The population stocks up on supplies and tries to tie the roofs of their houses with ropes. Classes and non-essential activities have been suspended.
STORM INTENSIFIED AS IT APPROACHED
Melissa’s slow movement over unusually warm Caribbean waters contributed to its increase in size and strength, NHC forecasters said. The hurricane moves slower than a person walking, at just 5 km/h or less, which means it stays longer in each place it passes.
The NHC reported, just on Monday, that the winds in Melissa’s eyewall are so strong that they could cause “total structural failure” and widespread power and communication outages.
The International Federation of the Red Cross said up to 1.5 million people in Jamaica are expected to be directly affected.
“Today will be very difficult for tens of thousands, if not millions of people in Jamaica,” said Necephor Mghendi of the Red Cross, via video conference from Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
“Roofs will be put to the test, floodwaters will rise, isolation will become a harsh reality for many.” More than 800 shelters have been set up for those displaced from the most affected areas, he added.
EVACUATION ORDERS
Brutal winds and intense rain hit Jamaica on Monday as Melissa approached. Prime Minister Andrew Holness issued a mandatory evacuation order in southern parts of the island, including the historic city of Port Royal.
The storm, which is to the south, “will probably turn towards the north, which means it could have an impact on our coasts, more towards the west end of Jamaica”, said the prime minister in an interview with CNN.
“And if that happens, I don’t believe there is infrastructure in this region that can withstand a Category 5 storm, so there could be significant disruption,” he added.
With winds of 280 km/h, Melissa has already reached category 5, the maximum level on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
He warned of damage to crops, homes and infrastructure on the island.
Despite evacuation orders, many residents of Jamaica decided to remain in their homes.
“I’m not going to move. I don’t think I can escape death,” Roy Brown told AFP, speaking from the historic coastal area of Port Royal in Kingston. The man cited conditions and previous poor experiences in government shelters during hurricanes as reasons for not evacuating.
“I just don’t want to leave,” Jennifer Ramdial, a fisherman who echoed Brown’s words, told AFP.
Holness said the withdrawal was “for the national good of saving lives.” “You were warned. Now it’s up to you to use this information to make the right decision,” said the prime minister at a press conference.
Melissa is the thirteenth named — that is, monitored — storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from the beginning of June to the end of November. Heavy rains, combined with intense winds, can cause devastation comparable to that of historic hurricanes such as Maria (2017) or Katrina (2005).
