MIAMI – Tropical Storm Melissa dumped heavy rain on Hispaniola as forecasters warned Wednesday of a significant flood risk in parts of the Caribbean region in the coming days.

The rains snarled traffic in the Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo, and games in the country’s professional baseball league were canceled. People in Haiti grew concerned over the possibility of heavy flooding, which has devastated the country during past storms given widespread erosion.

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Melissa had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) early Wednesday and was centered about 325 miles (520 kilometers) south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It was moving west at 12 mph (19 kph).

A hurricane watch was in effect for southern Haiti

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