Tropical Storm Melissa soaks Caribbean, flood alerts issued across region
Tropical Storm Melissa continued its slow crawl through the Caribbean on Thursday, bringing torrential rain, flash floods, and landslide risks to Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
Authorities across the region urged residents in low-lying and mountainous areas to move to higher ground as the storm threatened to intensify, News.Az reports, citing AP News.
In the Dominican Republic, dozens of people have taken refuge in shelters, while schools, businesses, and government offices were closed across nine provinces under alert. Water supply disruptions affected more than half a million residents, officials said.
In Jamaica, more than 880 shelters were prepared as a precaution. Courts were ordered closed and schools shifted to remote learning on Thursday. “We expect up to 12 inches of rain in the eastern region — that’s significant rainfall,” said Evan Thompson, head of Jamaica’s Meteorological Service.
Similar rainfall levels are forecast for southern Haiti and southern Dominican Republic through Saturday, with local variations depending on Melissa’s path. Heavy rain is also expected in western Jamaica, Aruba, and Puerto Rico.
Early Thursday, Melissa packed maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) while drifting west-northwest at 3 mph (5 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The storm was centered about 300 miles south-southwest of Port-au-Prince and 240 miles south-southeast of Kingston.
Meteorologists warn that Melissa could strengthen into a hurricane by Friday and possibly a major hurricane over the weekend. “It is becoming increasingly likely that Melissa will become a large and dangerous hurricane,” the NHC said.
Melissa is the 13th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted an above-normal season, with up to 18 named storms and as many as five major hurricanes.
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