AccuWeather’s hurricane experts are sounding a grave warning for the western Caribbean, cautioning that Tropical Storm Melissa presents an “extreme risk” to lives and property in parts of Haiti and Jamaica.
In a move designed to give communities the most advanced warning possible, AccuWeather has upgraded the storm’s potential impact for the western Caribbean to a 4 on its proprietary RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes.
This rating is just one point away from the maximum level of 5 and signals an imminent threat of catastrophic conditions. Puerto Rico has also been assigned a rating of 1 on the scale.
READ: Caribbean Braces For ‘Historic’ Flood Disaster As Tropical Storm Melissa Strengthens
A rating of 4 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes—which ranges from Less than 1 to 5—warns of:
- Widespread catastrophic flooding
- Flooding that may last days to weeks
- Widespread power outages
- Structural damage to many buildings, especially near the coast
- Severe coastal inundation
AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter stressed that the storm’s potential to stall or slow down is the primary factor driving the extreme danger rating, especially for mountainous regions.
“AccuWeather hurricane experts are increasingly concerned about the potential for a life-threatening, catastrophic flooding disaster across parts of the Caribbean, especially near steep terrain across parts of Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, should the storm move north and slow down considerably,” Porter said.
He warned that a slow-moving or stalled Melissa could unleash a “historic flooding disaster” with repeated rounds of torrential tropical downpours. Porter cited past devastating flood events in the region, including the catastrophic loss of life from Hurricane Flora in 1963 and the May 2004 floods across Hispaniola, where nearly 20 inches of rain fell, as proof of the region’s extreme vulnerability.
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Tropical Storm Melissa is currently active in the Caribbean Sea and is already on a path that is expected to approach the southwestern portion of Haiti and Jamaica later this week. The latest advisories from national weather agencies confirm that heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and the danger of landslides are imminent for Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva noted that while the primary threat remains focused on the Caribbean, residents in the United States should not entirely dismiss the storm’s potential for future impacts.
“While we think that the chances of a direct U.S. hit from this storm are low right now, it’s still on the table should Melissa make it into the western Atlantic,” DaSilva said.
Authorities and residents in the affected Caribbean islands are urged to complete all preparations to protect life and property immediately and to closely monitor the latest forecasts as the storm’s track remains uncertain.
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