Copyright nytimes
Authorities in at least five countries rushed on Sunday to evacuate low-lying areas in preparation for record amounts of rain expected with Hurricane Melissa, which is currently a Category 4 storm moving slowly west in the Caribbean. Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas were opening shelters and making other emergency preparations as experts warned that Hurricane Melissa could become the strongest storm to make landfall in Jamaica’s recorded history, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. The storm surge there could reach eight feet or more in coastal areas, the agency said. Southwest Haiti and portions of Jamaica were bracing for “catastrophic” flash flooding and landslides from the intense and fast developing hurricane, which has already killed at least four people. Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica’s Meteorological Service, said hurricane conditions would be felt in Jamaica starting on Monday, and the storm is expected to move across the country on Tuesday. Strong winds were already being felt.
