Catastrophic flooding, landslides, and life-threatening storm surge are expected for Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba.

Tropical Storm Melissa has strengthened into a hurricane and is expected to become a major hurricane by the end of the weekend, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Saturday.

The authorities fear that Melissa, which has already been blamed for the deaths of four people on the island of Hispaniola, could become the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica.