Melissa is expected to strengthen from a tropical storm into a major hurricane and bring "catastrophic" flash flooding and landslides to Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic

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KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — U.S. forecasters issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica Saturday as Storm Melissa reached hurricane strength, threatening catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean. A hurricane warning means winds of at least 74 mph (119 kph) are expected in the area within 36 hours.

Melissa intensified Saturday afternoon into a Category 1 hurricane. It will continue to strengthen before making landfall as a Major Category 4 hurricane in Jamaica on Tuesday. The storm will drop two to three feet of rain on the island, creating catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford, billed by the US Navy as “the most capable, adaptable, and lethal combat platform in the world,” is being sent to the Caribbean as the Trump administration ramps up military pressure on Venezuela over alleged drug trafficking.

Melissa has already turned deadly across Haiti and the Dominican Republic, but AccuWeather meteorologists warn that the worst may be yet to come with the storm on track to intensify.

The world’s largest aircraft carrier is deployed to the region in an escalating military conflict against drug traffickers

Por Brad Lendon, CNN El portaviones USS Gerald R Ford, considerado por la Marina de Estados Unidos como “la plataforma de combate más capaz, adaptable y letal del mundo”, está siendo enviado al Caribe