The National Hurricane Center warns that Hurricane Melissa poses a threat of catastrophic flash flooding and landslides in Jamaica, Cuba and Hispaniola. Experts highlighted the mountainous

Hurricane Melissa intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm and remained on track to slam Jamaica with a destructive storm surge, damaging winds and life-threatening flash flooding.

The storm's slow movement is expected to bring a deluge of rain to multiple countries in the Caribbean, and prolong its dangerous impacts over a period of several days.

Tropical Storm Melissa was churning in the Caribbean early Wednesday, according to forecasters warning Hispaniola to expect heavy rains and flooding over the next few days. Melissa was about 305 miles south-southwest of Port-au-Prince,

At 200 AM EDT (0600 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Melissa was located near latitude 16.2 North, longitude 75.4 West. Melissa is drifting toward the north near 2 mph (4 km/h). A slow northward

Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to bring heavy rains and potential flash flooding and landslides to portions of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica later this week, but the storm's future path and strength are uncertain, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday morning.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that “life-threatening and catastrophic flash flooding and landslides [are] expected in portions of Jamaica and southern Hispaniola through midweek....”