Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba take stock
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The hurricane is expected to dump up to 25 inches of rain in certain areas after pummeling Jamaica as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record.
Hurricane Melissa, weakened to a Category 2 storm, was moving away from the Bahamas into the southwestern Atlantic Ocean early Thursday, after battering the Caribbean over the last few days.
Historic, life-threatening flash flooding and landslides are expected in portions of Jamaica, southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic through the weekend, the NHC said. Peak storm surge heights could reach 9 to 13 feet above normal tide levels when the storm makes landfall, accompanied by large and powerfully destructive waves.