As Hurricane Melissa barrels toward Jamaica, a Delaware County, Pennsylvania, woman is holding onto hope and her heritage from her kitchen. Lileith Brown owns Taste Jamaica Now, a takeout business she runs from her apartment in Media. The smells of jerk chicken, curry goat and oxtail remind her of the country she still calls home.

The cities of Miramar, Lauderhill and Homestead established drop-off locations to accept donations. Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), a Miami-based nonprofit, is also accepting donations and asking volunteers to pack boxes of supplies at its Doral location.

Melissa is forecast to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane and bring life-threatening rainfall, landslides and storm surge to Jamaica, Haiti and elsewhere.

Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to bring days of heavy rain to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica and may trigger life-threatening flash flooding, the National Hurricane Center says.