Jamaica prepares for impact with Hurricane Melissa which will touch down in the Caribbean country today Tuesday 28 October with winds over 250 kmh and torrential rains which unfortunately suggest an imminent disaster of enormous proportions. As meteorologists explain, Melissa has undergone extremely rapid intensification in the last few hours, strengthening until it reaches category 5making it the strongest storm on the planet this year.
The hurricane has already caused deaths and injuries in other Caribbean countries and the external part is now hitting Jamaica with strong winds and heavy rain but the most devastating impact is expected late this morning. According to local authorities, three people died in Jamaica on Monday as they prepared for the hurricane’s arrival by cutting branches and working on ladders. Hundreds of thousands of people also evacuated to Cuba.
Jamaica prepares for Hurricane Melissa, ‘serious damage’ expected
For the coastal areas of Jamaica were Mandatory evacuation orders issued but for the other areas people are trying to make do as they can. The authorities advise people to hide in shelters and stay away from rivers and streams, warning that, in addition to stormy winds, Hurricane Melissa it will bring widespread flooding. According to the National Hurricane Center, in addition to winds of 250 kmh, there will be accumulations of rain of up to one meter and storm surges of over four metres. It means flash, life-threatening flooding with water that could reach far beyond shorelines.
“We can only hope, risks also from the sea”: the fear of Italians in Jamaica for Hurricane Melissa
The National Hurricane Center has issued a high warning for people in Jamaica that reads: “Stay safe in your shelters. Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are expected through Tuesday. Destructive winds from the eye of the storm can cause total structural failure, especially at higher altitudes, resulting in widespread infrastructure damage, prolonged power and communications outages, and community isolation. Along the southern coast, storm surge and life-threatening storm surge are expected until Tuesday. Failure to take immediate action could result in serious injury or loss of life.”
The prime minister said he expected “serious damage to our infrastructure roads, bridges, sewers and perhaps even some damage to ports and airports” explaining that there are 850 shelters spread across the island, enough to accommodate over 20,000 people. “If Hurricane Melissa were to make landfall as a category 5 hurricane, many more resources than Jamaica has at its disposal” warned the prime minister, however.
Fear among the inhabitants of Jamaica for the arrival of Hurricane Melissa
Many citizens fear they will not be able to resist. “I don’t think we can ever be prepared for a Category 5 event. It’s a devastating force, it’s going to be really tough for us,” a Kingston resident told CNN. “We can only hope, there are risks also from the sea” two Italians who live on the island confirmed to Fanpage.it. Hurricane Melissa is also destined to cause extensive damage in southern Haiti and in some areas of Cuba which will be crossed before the storm hits Jamaica.
To ensure communications during the storm, the Starlink satellite communications network is also in actioncreated by Elon Musk. Starlink technicians are in direct contact with rescue teams to ensure coordination of relief efforts in hurricane-hit areas of the Caribbean despite damaged telephone and internet networks. “The Starlink team is in close contact with emergency preparedness officials and rapid response teams in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, among many other Caribbean countries that may be affected by Hurricane Melissa,” said Lauren Dreyer, Starlink’s vice president of commercial operations.
Hurricane classified as category 5 is heading towards Cuba and Haiti: evacuations and alerts throughout the Caribbean
But the alert for the passage of Hurricane Melissa is throughout the Caribbean. In Cuba in particular, tens of thousands of people have already been evacuated in the eastern part of the island. In Santiago de Cuba – the second largest city on the island – approx 120 thousand people were evacuatedsecond Cubadebate which cites local sources. Many of these have been asked by government authorities to leave their homes in low-lying areas, which are subject to flooding.
