Historic storm downgraded to Category 1
Digest more
TRACKING THE TROPICS Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to become a major hurricane as it moves closer to Jamaica and Hispaniola. See the latest track.
Here's a look at where Tropical Storm Melissa is, where it's headed and the impacts it could have in Sarasota.
Tropical Storm Melissa dumped heavy rain on parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Wednesday as forecasters warned of a significant flood risk in parts of the northern Caribbean this week.
After savaging Jamaica as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record, swamping Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas and skirting Bermuda, Hurricane Melissa is rapidly speeding out into the Atlantic and is expected to drop down into an extratropical cyclone later today, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center.
Melissa is currently the only active tropical system in the Atlantic basin. As of Friday night, the storm remains nearly stationary, drifting north at just 2 mph. Maximum sustained winds are around 65 mph—just below the 75 mph threshold needed to reach Category 1 hurricane status.