Bahamas – Hurricane Melissia made landfall in the Bahamas on Thursday, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and dangerous sea conditions, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Authorities in the Bahamas reported that the hurricane caused widespread power outages and disrupted communication networks across several islands. A state of emergency was declared in the northern and central regions of the archipelago.
Evacuation of residents and suspension of flights
The Bahamian government ordered the evacuation of residents from six islands within the archipelago. The archipelago comprises more than 700 islands. Authorities airlifted approximately 1,500 people from the threatened areas before suspending all air traffic on Wednesday evening as a precautionary measure.
The National Emergency Management Agency confirmed that rescue teams were on full alert and that shelters on the major islands had taken in hundreds of families forced to leave their homes due to flooding and rising coastal water levels.
The hurricane weakens to a Category 1 storm.
According to meteorologists, sustained winds reached approximately 150 kilometers per hour. This makes Melissa a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale after it weakened as it moved over the Caribbean Sea.
The storm’s center is moving northeast at a marked speed, amid warnings of potential coastal flooding and high waves in the coming hours.
Casualties and losses in Caribbean countries
Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica last Tuesday as a Category 5 storm. It is considered one of the strongest storms recorded in the Atlantic in recent years.
The hurricane caused widespread damage and significant loss of life. It killed more than 30 people in the Caribbean, mostly in Haiti. It also triggered floods and landslides in Cuba and the Dominican Republic before heading towards the Bahamas.
Warnings and preparations
The U.S. National Hurricane Center urged residents to stay away from the coast and remain in safe locations until the storm passed. It warned that the risk of storm surge and rough seas remained even after the hurricane weakened.
Local authorities, in cooperation with regional rescue and civil defense teams, are continuing evacuation and relief operations. This comes amid expectations that the hurricane’s effects will extend to parts of South Florida over the next two days.
