Tropical Storm Melissa kills one, threatens Jamaica

ByEnigma 808

Tropical Storm Melissa moved slowly through the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, killing one person in Haiti and raising fears of severe flooding and landslides in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. An elderly man died in Marigot, Haiti, when a tree fell on him, and five others were hurt by floodwaters in the Artibonite region. Heavy rain continued to soak southern Hispaniola, increasing the danger of landslides.

The storm sat about 220 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, with winds of 45 mph and a crawl of just 2 mph north-northwest. Jamaica and southwestern Haiti were under a hurricane watch, while the entire island was under a tropical storm warning. Officials opened 881 shelters, closed courts, shifted schools online, and placed 1,000 sandbags in eastern Kingston. Health centers shut by Thursday afternoon, and hospitals ran on backup power for up to 72 hours. The Dominican Republic closed schools and offices in nine provinces. Rainfall of 8 to 14 inches threatened life-threatening floods through Sunday.

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  • Enigma XO avatar (80x80)

    Besides writing and being a content creator, Enigma 808 sometimes likes to watch paint dry on walls, listening to ASMR while timing snails racing. Such is life.