The tropical storm Melissa continues to gain strength in the Caribbean Sea, leaving a trail of flooding, landslides, and material damage in several provinces of the Dominican Republic, while keeping Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba on alert, according to reports from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and local media.
Videos shared by Dominican media outlets such as Ciudadanía RD Media and Noticiero El Salvador show streets turned into rivers in areas of Herrera and San Cristóbal, with vehicles partially submerged and families attempting to seek shelter in higher ground.
On Najayo Beach, tons of debris were swept up by the tide, and merchants tried to save their goods as the water rose.
The Dominican Meteorological Institute reported that Melissa is maintaining sustained winds of up to 100 km/h, with higher gusts, moving northwest at a speed of 6 km/h.
Authorities have issued alerts in 12 provinces and recommend avoiding crossing rivers and streams due to the risk of sudden flooding. Severe flooding and landslides have been reported in communities in Greater Santo Domingo and in coastal areas of the south.
According to the NHC, the system could strengthen into a hurricane over the weekend, with chances of heavy rainfall exceeding 350 millimeters in southern Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.
The persistent rains have already caused over a thousand evacuations and at least one fatality in Dominican territory, while in Haiti, three deaths have been reported due to landslides, according to data released by CNN.
"The slow movement of Melissa intensifies the risks, as rain accumulates for days over the same regions," explained meteorologist Chris Dolce to CNN Weather, warning that the phenomenon could reach category 4 in the next 48 hours."
For its part, The New York Times noted that the cyclone, the thirteenth named system of the Atlantic in 2025, has maximum winds of 113 km/h and is located about 243 kilometers southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, with paths that could directly impact the eastern part of Cuba between Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to the models from the NHC cited by the newspaper, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Holguín register between a 21% and 33% chance of harmful winds exceeding 93 km/h.
Storm Melissa has become a symbol of a particularly active hurricane season. According to NOAA, the increase in ocean temperatures and the slowdown of cyclone movement are intensifying both the duration and volume of rainfall in the Caribbean.
In a context of regional vulnerability, the Cuban population is closely following the progress of Melissa, which has already issued a clear warning: the Caribbean is once again in the eye of the storm.
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