SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Melissa dumped heavy rain on parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Wednesday as forecasters warned of significant flood risk in parts of the northern Caribbean this week.
The slow-moving storm was located about 320 miles (515 kilometers) south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and some 300 miles (480 kilometers) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 2 mph (4 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.
“People across Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Jamaica need to prepare for the increasing threat of torrential rainfall, flash flooding, power outages, and roads being washed out," said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather's lead hurricane expert. "The impacts from Melissa could be catastrophic."
Dominican President Luis Abinader announced that schools in nine provinces under alert would close Wednesday and Thursday, and issued a binding order that the public sector and nonessential private businesses close by early Wednesday afternoon. Officials also urged those living in flood-prone areas to seek higher ground ahead of the storm.
Dozens of people in the southern Dominican Republic were already in shelters as some 500 voluntary rescue personnel fanned out across the region to help. In addition, officials said dozens of water supply systems were out of service, affecting more than half a million customers.
A hurricane watch was in effect for southern Haiti from the border it shares with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince, while Jamaica was under a tropical storm watch.
“Flooding is historically the deadliest calling card of tropical systems in this part of the world, and the threat Melissa brings will be no exception,” said Michael Lowry, a hurricane specialist and storm surge expert.
Jamaica’s Minister of Water and Environment, Matthew Samuda, said that 881 shelters across the island would be made available as needed. The government also ordered that all courts close by Wednesday afternoon until further notice.
Melissa was expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Friday and approach Jamaica and southwest Haiti later this week. Hurricane conditions are possible in southern Haiti starting late Thursday, with tropical storm conditions possibly starting to affect Jamaica late Thursday or on Friday, the center said.
The National Hurricane Center said Melissa's path remained uncertain, although the path has shifted farther west than initially forecast, keeping it south of Jamaica.
“Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly likely that Melissa will become a large and dangerous hurricane,” the center warned.
Five to 10 inches (12 to 25 centimeters) of rain was forecast for southern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic through Friday, with greater amounts in some areas. Several inches also were expected in Jamaica, with smaller amounts forecast for northern areas of Hispaniola, Aruba and Puerto Rico.
On Tuesday, rains from Melissa snarled traffic in the Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo, and games in the country’s professional baseball league were canceled. People in Haiti grew concerned over the possibility of heavy flooding, which has devastated the country during past storms given widespread erosion.
Melissa is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the first named storm to form in the Caribbean this year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted an above-normal season with 13 to 18 named storms. Of those, five to nine were forecast to become hurricanes, including two to five major hurricanes, which pack winds of 111 mph or greater.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
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