Melissa is slowly drifting in the Caribbean, and is expected to become a Cat. 4 hurricane. HOUSTON — U.S. forecasters issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica Saturday as Storm Melissa reached hurricane strength, threatening catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean.

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.

Melissa increased into a near hurricane and is forecast to rapidly intensify into a possible Category 5 through portions of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica.

Melissa has now become a Category 1 hurricane that is expected to intensify over the weekend, the National Hurricane Center said Saturday.

According to the hurricane center, Hurricane Melissa has a significant possibility of making landfall on Jamaica as a major hurricane and could maintain major hurricane strength when it reaches eastern Cuba. Forecasters say Melissa poses little to no risk for Florida and the U.S. at this time.

Here's a look at where Tropical Storm Melissa is, where it's headed and the impacts it could have in Sarasota.

Tropical Storm Melissa is forecast to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane this weekend as it lashes Jamaica and parts of the northern Caribbean, bringing days of life-threatening, potentially catastrophic impacts.

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.