Tropical Storm Melissa: Flood Threat in Caribbean
- Here's a breakdown of the key details from the provided text, organized for clarity:
- * Current Status: Tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph).
- * Southwest Haiti & East Jamaica: Up to 20 inches (51 cm), with higher amounts possible.
Here’s a breakdown of the key details from the provided text, organized for clarity:
1. The Storm (Melissa):
* Current Status: Tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph).
* Location (as of the report): About 230 miles (370 km) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica and 250 miles (400 km) southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
* Movement: East-southeast at 2 mph (4 kph) – very slow moving.
* Forecast: Expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Saturday and a major hurricane (perhaps Category 4) by Sunday/Monday.
* Duration of Impact: Parts of Jamaica coudl experience hurricane conditions for 72+ hours due to the slow movement.
2. Rainfall Forecast:
* Southwest Haiti & East Jamaica: Up to 20 inches (51 cm), with higher amounts possible.
* Rest of Southern Haiti & Southern Dominican Republic: Up to 12 inches (30 cm).
* Timing: Through Monday.
3. Warnings & Watches:
* Jamaica & haiti’s Southwest Peninsula: Hurricane watch and tropical storm warning are in effect.
4. Potential Impacts:
* Haiti:
* Catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are expected, especially in southwestern Haiti.
* Strong winds for a day or more over the Tiburon peninsula.
* Current Damage: Landslide in Port-au-Prince killed 2, injured 1 (death toll now 3). Tree fell and killed a man in southern Haiti. 5 injured in flooding.
* Shelters: The U.N. has prepared over 100 emergency shelters in the southern region.
* Vulnerable Populations: people in makeshift shelters (displaced by gang violence) are especially at risk.
* Jamaica:
* Life-threatening flooding and landslides are possible due to already saturated ground.
5. Human Impact/Stories:
* Wilgar Joseph (Les Cayes, Haiti): Evacuating due to a zinc roof.
* Dina Georges (Port-au-Prince, Haiti): Worried about protecting her children while living on the streets.
* Nephtali Johnson Pierre (Port-au-Prince, Haiti): Facing “two storms” – gangs and the weather.
* Marcus Thompson (Kingston, Jamaica): Preparing by covering windows, stocking up on supplies.
6. Overall Assessment:
* The storm is described as a “slow-motion disaster” with the potential for a “humanitarian disaster.”
* The slow movement and heavy rainfall are the biggest concerns.