The erratic storm was expected to drop copious rain on Jamaica and the southern regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic through the weekend.

Tropical Storm Melissa has begun churning in the Caribbean and is moving toward Haiti. At 2 p.m., Melissa was about 300 miles south of Port-au-Prince.

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.

Top computer forecast models haven't reached a consensus on Melissa's next move. One possible scenario calls for the storm to dramatically strengthen.

The National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Melissa could become a hurricane as soon as Thursday, Oct. 23.

Tropical Storm Melissa is moving slowly through the Caribbean Sea on Wednesday, meaning portions of Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were expected to see major flooding.

The storm could grow into a hurricane by Friday and a major one by the late weekend.

Tropical Storm Melissa's forecast is filled with uncertainty, prompting some dire worst-case scenarios for Caribbean islands.

The National Hurricane Center said \

The storm is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane by the end of the weekend.

Based on historical data, a hurricane hits Jamaica about once every 10-11 years, on average.

Why meteorologists are so concerned about Tropical Storm Melissa when it becomes a hurricane near Jamaica, Haiti, the Cayman Islands, and Cuba.

The erratic storm was expected to drop copious rain on Jamaica and the southern regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic through the weekend.

Track Melissa as it's forecasted to become a major hurricane over the weekend.

Tropical Storm Melissa is nearly stationary in the central Caribbean, with forecasters warning it could soon strengthen and brush past Jamaica as a powerful hurricane.

Jamaica prepares for Melissa's arrival as forecasts predict over 72 hours of hurricane conditions and heavy rainfall.

The erratic and slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

Track Tropical Storm Melissa as it's forecast to become a major hurricane over the weekend.

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

Hurricane Melissa became a major hurricane late Saturday with catastrophic flash flooding and landslides in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

Melissa is expected to strengthen even further into a major catastrophic hurricane when making landfall in Jamaica.