Tropical Storm Melissa Threatens Caribbean With Torrential Rains, Deadly Flooding

Tropical Storm Melissa is moving slowly across the Caribbean, bringing torrential rains, flash floods, and landslide risks to Jamaica, Hispaniola, and nearby islands.

Jamaica’s meteorological chief Evan Thompson warned that eastern regions could see up to 12 inches (300mm) of rain, a deluge that could trigger dangerous landslides in mountainous areas. “That is significant rainfall, and that is the main thing we should be mindful of at this time,” he said.

Similar rainfall totals are forecast for southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic through Saturday, with localized areas possibly seeing more as the storm’s track evolves. Western Jamaica, southern Hispaniola, Aruba, and Puerto Rico are also under heavy rain warnings.

According to the US National Hurricane Center in Miami, Melissa was packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) late Wednesday, creeping west at just 2 mph (4 km/h). The storm’s centre was located about 335 miles (535 km) south-southwest of Port-au-Prince and 295 miles (475 km) south-southeast of Kingston.

Forecasters expect Melissa to intensify into a hurricane by Friday and possibly a major hurricane by the weekend. In the Dominican Republic, the storm has already caused widespread disruptions, forcing road closures and event cancellations.

Melissa is the 13th named storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, and the first to form within the Caribbean basin. Meteorologists have warned of an above-normal season, with up to 18 named storms expected, including as many as five major hurricanes.