A hurricane warning is in effect for Jamaica, and a hurricane watch is in place for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti, from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince. Watches could be in effect for portions of eastern Cuba later today, and total rainfall of 4 to 8 inches, with amounts up to 12 inches, is possible into Tuesday.

Haiti is expected to see catastrophic flash floods and landslides early next week causing “extensive infrastructural damage and potentially prolonged isolation of communities.” The southwestern peninsula of Haiti, from the border of the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince, was placed under a hurricane watch and a tropical-storm warning.

Hurricane Melissa formed Saturday in the Caribbean forecast to rapidly intensify close to a Category 5 storm, but moving slowly while dumping “catastrophic” amounts of rain on islands

Jamaica's central location in the Caribbean, the island has never recorded a direct landfall from a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, according to records from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) dating back to 1850.

Tropical Storm Melissa, responsible for multiple fatalities in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, is nearing hurricane strength, sparking concerns over severe flooding, powerful storm surges, and extensive wind damage in Jamaica and surrounding regions.

Forecasters warn that Tropical Storm Melissa could bring destructive winds and over 30 inches of rain to Jamaica as the storm edges closer to the island.