Hurricane Melissa Strengthens Into Category 4, Threatening Catastrophic Flooding In Jamaica

A strengthening Melissa grew into a Category 4 hurricane Sunday and U.S. forecasters said it could reach Category 5 status, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean, including Haiti and Jamaica, The U.S. National Hurricane Center added that Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica as a major hurricane early Tuesday, then reach Cuba Tuesday night, and head across the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday. Melissa was centered about 115 miles (185 kilometers) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 295 miles (475 kilometers) south-southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, on Sunday night. It had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph) and was moving west at 5 mph (7 kph), the hurricane center said.