Kingston (Jamaica) (AFP) – Jamaican officials urged people to get to higher ground and shelters ahead of Hurricane Melissa’s expected landfall Tuesday, with the prime minister warning it could bring massive devastation. The Category 5 storm — which could be the island’s most violent on record — is charting a painstakingly slow path through the Caribbean, and has already been blamed for three deaths in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported on early Tuesday that Melissa was about 115 miles (185 kilometers) from the capital Kingston, and reaching maximum wind speeds of 175 miles (280 kilometers) per hour.
Its heavy rains combined with intense winds could wreak devastation on par with historic hurricanes, including 2017’s Maria or 2005’s Katrina, which left indelible impacts on Puerto Rico and the US city of New Orleans, respectively. Scientists say human-driven climate change has exacerbated massive storms, increasing their frequency. The Jamaican Red Cross, which has already started to dispatch drinking water and hygiene kits, said Melissa’s “slow nature” was intensifying anxiety. “There’s some areas where landslides are already happening,” the Red Cross’s communications officer Esther Pinnock told AFP. “It’s looking quite eerie on the outside, and every once in a while we have some gusty winds, but the system is creeping in,” Pinnock said. Some “daredevils” have also made the choice to stay on their properties despite urgent warnings, she added.
Local government minister Desmond McKenzie said late Monday that many of the island’s 880-odd shelters standing by were empty. “I want to urge persons…to get to high ground as quickly as possible,” he said. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, some 1.5 million people may be impacted by the storm.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the island’s western end faced the worst destruction. “I don’t believe there is any infrastructure within this region that could withstand a Category 5 storm, so there could be significant dislocation,” he told CNN. But despite pleas to evacuate, many Jamaican residents were staying put. “I am not moving. I don’t believe I can run from death,” Roy Brown told AFP in Kingston’s seaside area of Port Royal. The plumber and tiler said he was reluctant to flee because of his past experiences with the poor conditions of government hurricane shelters. Fisherwoman Jennifer Ramdial agreed, adding: “I just don’t want to leave.”
Holness told a press briefing that the evacuation was about “the national good of saving lives.” “You have been warned…Make the right decision.” Part of Melissa’s punch stems from its slow pace: it is lumbering along slower than most people walk, at just three miles per hour or less. That means areas in its path could endure punishing conditions for far longer than during most hurricanes.
“You anticipate that maybe within four hours it would be gone…but Melissa is not looking like that type of a storm,” said Pinnock of the Jamaican Red Cross. The NHC warned of “catastrophic” winds and flash flooding on the island on Tuesday that could cause lengthy power and communications outages, along with “extensive infrastructural damage.” Up to 40 inches (one meter) of rainfall are forecast, with flash flooding and landslides also expected in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. A “life-threatening” storm surge is likely along Jamaica’s southern coast, with waters potentially rising 13 feet (4 meters), along with “destructive waves,” the NHC said.
In the farming community of Flagaman in the south, residents hunkered down in a store. Owner Enrico Coke said he opened his place for fear that his neighbors had nowhere to go: “I’m concerned about farmers, the fishermen will be suffering after this.” “We’ll need help as soon as possible.”
After pummeling Jamaica, Melissa is forecast to cross over eastern Cuba on Tuesday night. On Monday, officials in Jamaica said three people had died while preparing for the storm, cutting tree branches and working on ladders. In the Dominican Republic, a 79-year-old man was found dead after being swept away in a stream, officials said. A 13-year-old boy was missing. Haiti’s civil protection agency said three people died in storm conditions over the weekend.
Meteorologist Kerry Emanuel said global warming was causing more storms to rapidly intensify as Melissa did, raising the potential for enormous rains. “Water kills a lot more people than wind,” he told AFP. The last major hurricane to impact Jamaica was Beryl in July 2024 — an abnormally strong storm for the time of year. “Human-caused climate change is making all of the worst aspects of Hurricane Melissa even worse,” said climate scientist Daniel Gilford.
© 2024 AFP
