KINGSTON, Jamaica - Millions of people in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic are preparing for flooding rain and high winds as Tropical Storm Melissa, which is now forecast to become a Category 4 hurricane , meanders in the central Caribbean.

Jamaica's government issued a hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning on Thursday morning, as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of possible life-threatening flash flooding on the island nation due to heavy rain expected from Melissa. Similar alerts have been issued for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti, including Port-au-Prince.

The NHC said Melissa is expected to begin intensifying soon. FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross said Thursday that this could be a catastrophic situation for

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