Tropical Storm Melissa brings flood risk to Haiti, Dominican Republic and Jamaica

Tropical Storm Melissa dumped heavy rain on Hispaniola as forecasters warned Wednesday of a significant flood risk in parts of the Caribbean.

MIAMI — Tropical Storm Melissa dumped heavy rain on Hispaniola as forecasters warned Wednesday of a significant flood risk in parts of the Caribbean region in the coming days.

The rains snarled traffic in the Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo, and games in the country’s professional baseball league were canceled. People in Haiti grew concerned over the possibility of heavy flooding, which has devastated the country during past storms given widespread erosion.

Melissa had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph early Wednesday and was centered about 325 miles south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It was moving west at 12 mph.

A hurricane watch was in effect for southern Haiti, while Jamaica was under a tropical storm watch.

Five to 10 inches of rain was possible in southern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic through Friday, with greater amounts in some areas. Several inches also were expected in Jamaica, with smaller amounts forecast for northern areas of Hispaniola, Aruba and Puerto Rico.