With the 11 p.m. Thursday advisory, Melissa was about 150 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica and 270 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, creeping north at only 3 mph and packing maximum sustained winds near 45 mph. Tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 140 miles from the center, underscoring the storm's broad reach.

Several inches of rain fell in parts of Brevard County and Lake County in Florida, causing major flooding along streets, roadways, and in some neighborhoods.

South Florida will experience impact storms again today, after flooding rains swept through the Boca area last night. Expect heavy rains and storm action this afternoon, flaring up at about 3pm onward.

Weather experts said they feared that if forecasts become less accurate, the public will lose faith in them — and the result will be that residents will be less likely to heed hurricane warnings and evacuate when their lives may be in danger.

Should another weather system develop into a tropical storm, the system would be named Jerry. The USA TODAY Network in Florida provides daily tropics watch reports during hurricane season (June 1-Nov. 30). Weather Watch from USA TODAY: Envía HOLA al (239 ...

Melissa is expected to become a Category 5 hurricane by Sunday night, Oct. 26, and have catastrophic impacts on islands in the northern Caribbean.

Jamaica and other countries impacted by Hurricane Melissa will be getting help from organizations right here in South Florida.