Haitians urged to remain vigilant as Melissa blamed for four deaths and injury of 15

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Haitian authorities were on Monday urging people to remain vigilant as Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, could bring life-threatening flash flooding and landslides in southwestern Haiti this week.

So far, the authorities say four people have been killed and 15 others injured since last Tuesday and the Haitian Hydrometeorological Unit (UHM), as well as the General Directorate of Civil Protection and the Permanent Secretariat for Risk Management, are maintaining a red alert for the South and Grand’Anse departments.

The South-East, Nippes, West, and central plateau departments are also on orange alert.

Hurricane Melissa is expected to bring an additional eight to 16 inches of rainfall to southern Hispaniola through Wednesday, with possible local maximum totals of 40 inches.

The Haitian authorities say catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides are expected in southwestern Haiti and the southern parts of the Dominican Republic through midweek.

In Haiti, significant infrastructure damage and community isolation are likely with tropical storm conditions expected late Tuesday and Wednesday along Haiti’s western coast.

The Departmental Directorate of Civil Protection is calling on the population to remain vigilant during this period, urging them not to cross any watercourses under any circumstances, not to tie up animals where the water could carry them away and not to stand on hills and bridges to observe flowing water.

“Store your important documents in a safe place to prevent them from getting wet. Remember to keep an eye on people in need of assistance so that they can move if necessary. Remain calm and listen to Civil Protection messages from reliable sources,” the department said.

It said that the commune of Saut-d’Eau remains completely cut off from communications networks due to the control exercised by armed gangs, while Savanette has been isolated for more than three days following a telephone service outage.

In Thomassique, the power supply remains severely disrupted: several small and medium-sized businesses dependent on solar energy have been forced to suspend their operations, exacerbating the crisis in essential services.

Schools remain closed in the South-East, Sud, and Grand’Anse departments, as a precautionary measure.

The authorities said that 342 shelters have already been opened in the Southeast, South, and Grand’Anse departments.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that a tropical watch remains in effect for Haiti and Melissa is moving toward the west near three miles per hour (mph).

“A slow turn toward the northwest and north is expected today and tonight, followed by a northeastward acceleration beginning on Tuesday and continuing through at least Thursday. On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica tonight and Tuesday, across southeastern Cuba Tuesday night, and across the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday,” it said.

Melissa has maximum sustained winds of near 160 mph with higher gusts and some additional strengthening is forecast today, with fluctuations in intensity likely before Melissa makes landfall on Jamaica early Tuesday.

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