Melissa strengthens into Category 4 hurricane
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The storm was forecast to dump up to 25 inches of rain over Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica as it continues to strengthen this weekend.
U.S. forecasters issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica on Saturday as Tropical Storm Melissa reached hurricane strength, threatening catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned of "life-threatening and catastrophic flash flooding and landslides" throughout Hispaniola.
With slow-moving Tropical Storm Melissa expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as soon as Saturday as it churns towards Jamaica and southwest Haiti, the United Nations said Friday it’s actively helping the Caribbean respond to any devastation.