Melissa strengthens into a Category 4 hurricane, threatening catastrophic flooding in Jamaica, Haiti

KINGSTON, Jamaica – A strengthening Melissa grew into a Category 4 hurricane Sunday and U.S. forecasters said it could reach Category 5 status, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean, including Haiti and Jamaica,

The U.S. National Hurricane Center added that Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica as a major hurricane early Tuesday, then reach Cuba Tuesday night, and head across the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.

“Conditions (in Jamaica) are going to go down rapidly today,” Jamie Rhome, the center’s deputy director, said on Sunday. “Be ready to ride this out for several days.”

Melissa was centered about 115 miles

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