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The powerful Category 5 hurricane Melissa is slowly moving northwest across the Caribbean, causing heavy rains and flash flooding in Eastern Cuba, where authorities have issued a cyclone alert due to the threat of landslides, storm surges, and strong winds.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States, rainfall in eastern Cuba could become "potentially catastrophic" starting this Monday, with accumulations exceeding 300 millimeters and wind gusts that pose a threat to life.
The agency warns that the storm surge and high waves will impact the entire southern coastal strip of the provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, and Granma, extending towards Holguín in the coming hours.
"Heavy rainfall is expected, with sudden flooding and landslides that threaten lives and could potentially be catastrophic starting today. Preparations should be accelerated until completion," stated bulletin 24 from the NHC, issued at 5:00 a.m. on Monday, October 27.
The rains have already begun to be felt in mountainous areas of the Sierra Maestra, where soil saturation increases the risk of landslides. Along the coast, the waves have started to penetrate low-lying communities such as Sabanalamar and Uvero, according to local reports.
The hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h, is slowly moving northwest, leaving behind intense bands of rain that also affect Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, where damage from flooding and power outages has been reported.
In Cuba, the Civil Defense authorities urged the population to stay informed and strictly adhere to safety measures. In vulnerable municipalities like San Antonio del Sur, the preventive evacuation of thousands of people to safe shelters in the city of Guantánamo continues.
The NHC warned that hurricane conditions could persist until Wednesday as Melissa moves north through the Caribbean, leaving a landscape of destruction and danger across several islands in the region.
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