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Tropical Storm Melissa passes through central Caribbean Early Friday, forecasters warned it could soon strengthen and touch past Jamaica as a powerful typhoon, while causing potentially “catastrophic” flash floods and landslides in southern haiti,
The slow-moving and irregular storm was expected to bring heavy rainfall to southern areas of Jamaica and Haiti. Dominican Republic During the weekend.
“Rainfall is a major threat with hurricanes,” said Michael Brennan, director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. “Rainfall has historically been the greatest cause of loss of life from tropical storms and hurricanes in the Caribbean.”
The slow-moving storm was centered about 150 miles (245 kilometers) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 270 miles (430 kilometers) southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The US center said it had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) and was moving north at 3 mph (6 kph).
Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings were in effect for Jamaica and the southwestern peninsula of Haiti.
Melissa was expected to slowly begin moving closer to Jamaica over the weekend. It was expected to intensify into a hurricane by Saturday and become a major hurricane by the end of the weekend, possibly reaching Category 4 status by Tuesday.
Forecasters said up to 14 inches (36 centimeters) of rain could fall in the eastern region of Jamaica, causing flooding and mudslides as the ground was already under water from recent heavy rains unrelated to the storm.
Schools, health centers and government offices were closed across Jamaica on Thursday, with officials warning that all airports would be closed within 24 hours if a hurricane warning was issued.
“The situation is really serious,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Economic Development and Job Creation Matthew Samuda, who warned people not to be fooled by the storm’s current speed and strength. “Be very careful, because it can change in an instant.”
Up to 14 inches (36 centimeters) of rain was also forecast in southern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic, with higher amounts expected through Sunday.
Officials said Melissa was blamed for one death in southern Haiti, and five other people were injured in flooding in the country’s central region. The United Nations announced Thursday that it is preparing more than 100 emergency shelters in Haiti’s southern region.
The storm also collapsed dozens of water supply systems in the neighboring Dominican Republic, affecting more than half a million customers. It also downed trees and traffic lights and caused some small landslides.
All public schools in the Dominican Republic will be closed Friday, officials said, while government offices in 12 provinces under alert will do the same.
“This is an event that we must monitor minute by minute,” said Juan Manuel Méndez García, emergency operations director in the Dominican Republic. He said evacuation was mandatory in alert areas.
Melissa is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the first named storm to hit the Caribbean this year.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 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, carrying winds of 111 mph (178 kph) or greater.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.