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At least three people have died in this haitiAccording to reports, as Tropical Storm Melissa moves through Central Caribbean,
Forecasters are warning that it could soon turn into a powerful storm.
The storm is expected to be potentially “catastrophic” flash flood and landslides in the southern part haiti Heavy rainfall occurred throughout the weekend, as well Jamaica and this Dominican Republic,
“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 Caribbean,
By early Friday, the slow-moving storm was located about 150 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaicaand about 270 miles southwest of Port-au-PrinceHaiti.
According to the US center, it maintained maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving north at a slow 3 mph speed.
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 of rain could fall in the eastern region of Jamaica, causing flooding and mudslides as the ground is 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 of rain was also forecast in southern Haiti and South Dominican RepublicHigher concentrations are possible 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.
America 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 packing winds of 111 mph or greater.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.