Tropical Storm Melissa threatens Haiti, may turn hurricane

Tropical Storm Melissa formed in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, making it the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Melissa could turn into a hurricane by Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center. A hurricane watch is in effect for Haiti, while Jamaica has a tropical storm watch. The hurricane center advised that preparations to protect life and property should be completed by Thursday.

Though the storm has been moving at a slow crawl, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and dangerous mudslides could occur in parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti through the coming weekend, the National Hurricane Center said.

Where could it hit? The hurricane center said there was significant uncertainty in the forecasted path and intensity of Melissa. As of Wednesday morning, the storm was located around 300 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and was moving west-northwest at 2 miles per hour. It had sustained maximum winds of 50 mph.

Based on Melissa’s current path, the chances are low that the storm could deliver a direct hit to the U.S., Fox Weather hurricane expert Bryan Norcross told the Naples Daily News.

Dig Deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report on Tropical Storm Imelda, which brought heavy rainfall to Cuba and the Bahamas in September.