Tropical Storm Melissa Exposes Vulnerabilities as It Threatens Caribbean with Catastrophic Flooding

As Tropical Storm Melissa gathers strength in the Atlantic, it is poised to become a major hurricane threatening parts of the Caribbean with devastating rainfall and life-threatening flooding. Forecasters warn that up to 35 inches of rain could unleash catastrophic conditions in southwest Haiti alone, underscoring long-standing vulnerabilities in disaster preparedness across the region.Melissa’s steady but sluggish pace has already proven deadly, claiming at least three lives in Haiti and another in the Dominican Republic, where one person remains missing. Yet the storm’s true danger lies not only in its winds but in torrential rains expected to trigger landslides and...