Hurricane Melissa Reaches Category 5: Haiti and Jamaica Under Threat of Devastating Floods

PORT-AU-PRINCE.— Hurricane Melissa crossed a critical threshold this Monday: now classified as Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, the meteorological phenomenon has reached its maximum intensity level, with sustained winds of 260 km/h and a central pressure of 917 millibars, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) based in Miami. The agency warns that major hurricane conditions and a potentially destructive storm surge are expected in Jamaica as early as Monday evening, before affecting Haiti and the Dominican Republic within the following 48 hours. “Hurricane conditions and a destructive storm surge are expected in Jamaica as early as this Monday evening, before affecting Haiti and the Dominican Republic within 48 hours,” states the latest NHC bulletin. Torrential Rains and Feared Landslides The main danger now lies in Melissa's slow movement, advancing at only 6 km/h. This slowed progression favors the accumulation of precipitation and increases the risk of prolonged flooding and landslides. Forecasts indicate more than a meter of rain locally over Jamaica and the island of Hispaniola, shared between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. “Residents in exposed areas will need to prepare to remain confined for several days in regions likely to be isolated by rising waters,” warned Jamie Rhome, Deputy Director of the NHC. First Human Toll and Material Damage Even before reaching Category 5, Melissa, then classified as Category 4, had already caused one death and five injuries in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic. An adolescent is still missing, according to rescue services. In southeastern Haiti, several coastal neighborhoods are flooded, and roads are cut off. The eye of the hurricane is expected to pass near or over Jamaica overnight from Monday to Tuesday, before continuing its trajectory towards southeastern Cuba on Tuesday evening, then the Bahamas on Wednesday. In Haiti, where infrastructure is weakened and rescue capacities are limited, local authorities, Civil Protection, and NGOs fear a major humanitarian crisis, particularly in the Southern, Nippes, and Western departments. “Catastrophic floods are now inevitable if Melissa maintains its current trajectory,” warns the NHC, calling for immediate evacuation of exposed coastal areas. Jean Mapou