Speaking to reporters hours before Melissa’s scheduled arrival in Jamaica, a representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said the Category 5 system “will be the strongest on the planet this year”, putting a million people directly at risk, “including families still recovering from Hurricane Beryl” which hit the island nation only 16 months ago.
“Roofs will be tested. Floodwaters will rise. Isolation will become a harsh reality for many,” said Necephor Mghendi, head of the International Federation’s delegation for the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean.
“Total structural failure”
“Total structural failure is likely,” said Anne-Claire Fontan, a tropical cyclone specialist at the World Meteorological Organization.WMO), citing the United States National Hurricane Center in Miami.
“I’ve never seen that phrase before… it’s a huge impact that should have an impact in Jamaica,” she said.
Sustained winds of 280 kilometers per hour were reported as the system tracks west toward Jamaica on Tuesday morning. Heavy rains continue in the region, with deaths already reported in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
Ms Fontan explained that the system will bring three times the normal amount of precipitation for a month of rain in Jamaica, or up to 700 millimeters (27.5 inches).
Catastrophic flash floods and landslides
“This means there will be catastrophic flash floods and many landslides,” she explained. “In addition to the rain and damaging wind, you will have a storm surge which is also expected on the south coast of Jamaica with a height of three to four meters in addition to the destructive waves.”
Speaking from Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the IFRC’s Mr Mghendi said that although Melissa was moving at a very slow speed – around six kilometers per hour – the “extreme” rains and winds were expected to cause “significant damage to infrastructure, isolating communities and cutting off essential services for days or even weeks”.
“The humanitarian threat is serious and immediate,” he said.
Many families are still rebuilding from the impacts of Beryl last year and re-establishing their livelihoods.
Reconstruction from destroyed Beryl
“Melissa is now threatening the same communities and perhaps all activities will be wiped out,” he warned. “This is an example of how…extreme weather events can really shock communities and strain their abilities to withstand them,” he explained.
The IFRC official went on to highlight that coastal communities remain in financial distress and informal settlements are threatened by intense winds as well as soils already saturated from the rainy season, with an “increased likelihood of landslides.”
“The first thing to do is to save as many lives as possible during this event,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.OCHA), explaining that this is “why we are seeing evacuations, the construction of shelters… advice is being circulated”.
Mr. Mghendi of the International Federation said that in Jamaica, authorities had prepared some 800 shelters and volunteers were supporting evacuations, helping distribute relief items and reinforcing early warning messages.
Extensive preparation by United Nations agencies
OCHA spokesperson Laerke added that a UN-facilitated anticipation mechanism was activated in Cuba and Haiti, which are in the hurricane’s path, triggering a $4 million allocation from the UN. Central Emergency Response Fund (DEER) to pre-position food, water, hygiene items and health products.
“What will be people’s basic survival needs? Food, clean water…shelter and of course medical care,” he said, explaining that when massive floods occur, clean water becomes scarce, leading to increased health and epidemic risks.
Asked about the availability of relief items, Mr Mghendi of the IFRC said that in Jamaica itself, enough supplies had been pre-positioned to provide immediate assistance to some 800 households. Beyond that, supplies for 60,000 households can be delivered to Jamaica and other countries like the Bahamas “within four hours,” he said.
The world must “unite”
“After their release, it will be necessary to replenish the reserves and this is where we hope for global solidarity,” insisted Mr. Mghendi.
“In events like this, the world comes together and we expect that to be the case. This is one of the storms of the century and I believe the global community will come together to respond collectively,” he concluded.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
