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Dozens of people in the southern Dominican Republic were already in shelters as some 500 volunteer rescue personnel fanned out across the region to help. In addition, officials said dozens of water supply systems were out of service, affecting more than half a million customers.

People in Haiti grew concerned over the possibility of heavy flooding, which has devastated the country during past storms given widespread erosion.

Jamaica’s Minister of Water and Environment, Matthew Samuda, said 881 shelters would be made available as needed. Courts were ordered closed by Wednesday afternoon and schools were to switch to remote classes Thursday.

“People across Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Jamaica need to prepare for the increasing threat of torrential rainfall, flash flooding, power outages, and roads being washed out,� said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert. “The impacts from Melissa could be catastrophic.�

Melissa had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) and was moving west at 1 mph (2 kph), the U.S. ºÃÉ«tv Hurricane Center in Miami said late Wednesday.

The slow-moving storm was centered about 330 miles (530 kilometers) south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and some 300 miles (480 kilometers) south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica.

“Flooding is historically the deadliest calling card of tropical systems in this part of the world, and the threat Melissa brings will be no exception,� said Michael Lowry, a hurricane specialist and storm surge expert.

Melissa was forecast to continue its meandering path and strengthen gradually. It was expected to be nearer to Jamaica and southwestern Haiti later this week and could be a hurricane by Friday. It may intensify further over the weekend.

“Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly likely that Melissa will become a large and dangerous hurricane,� the Miami-based center warned.

A hurricane watch was in effect for southern Haiti from the border it shares with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince, while Jamaica was under a tropical storm watch.

That meant hurricane conditions were possible in southern Haiti starting Friday, and tropical storm conditions could begin affecting Jamaica late Thursday or Friday, the center said.

Five to 10 inches (12 to 25 centimeters) of rain was forecast for eastern Jamaica, southern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic through Friday, with greater amounts in some areas. Several inches also were expected in other parts of those islands, as well as Aruba and .

Melissa is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the first named storm to form in this year.

The ºÃÉ«tv Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted an above-normal season with 13 to 18 named storms. Of those, five to nine were forecast to become hurricanes, including two to five major hurricanes, which pack winds of 111 mph or greater.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

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