Tropical Storm Melissa, forecast to become major hurricane, barrels toward Jamaica and Cuba

Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to intensify into a hurricane in the Caribbean on Saturday, bringing with it catastrophic flash flooding and potential landslides.

The slow-moving storm is already responsible for the deaths of at least three people in Haiti. Meteorologists warn the storm could become a Category 4 hurricane, bringing major rainfall and destructive winds to the island of Jamaica.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Jamaica, and a hurricane watch is in place for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti, from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince. Watches could be in effect for portions of eastern Cuba later today, and total rainfall of 4 to 8 inches, with amounts up to 12 inches, is possible into Tuesday.

In an 11 a.m. ET update on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said the slow-moving storm is crawling west-northwest at 1 mph. At the time of the update, the storm was about 155 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, and 235 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital.

The NHC warned of “life-threatening and catastrophic flash flooding and landslides” through the weekend in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola, the island that comprises Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The Haitian Civil Protection Agency said that two people died Thursday in a landslide in Fontamara, a suburb of Port-au-Prince. Earlier, the agency said a man in his 70s was killed by a falling tree in the southern coastal town of Marigot, while five people were injured in the Artibonite region.

Already, dozens of water supply systems are offline in the Dominican Republic, affecting more than 500,000 customers, with downed trees and traffic lights causing disruption.

In the U.S., strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to continue along the South and Gulf Coast this weekend.

The NHS declared a slight risk for severe weather impacting 14 million people across Texas, Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi where storms pose the threat of a few tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, and 2″ + hail.

Although the primary risk on Sunday will be strong wind gusts, the NHS said it can’t rule out a brief tornado.

At least 15 million people from Texas to Mississippi currently face Flood Alerts into Sunday afternoon. Rainfall totals through Sunday are expected to range from 2-4″ inches with localized higher amounts possible.