Hurricane Melissa tore a path of destruction across Jamaica.
Hurricane Melissa tore a path of destruction across Jamaica after the storm made landfall on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane, one of the most powerful landfalls on record in the Atlantic basin.
After lashing Jamaica with dangerous winds and flooding rain, Melissa made a second landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday morning. Melissa then moved through the Bahamas, and next, on Thursday night, the storm will pass Bermuda as a Category 1 or 2 hurricane.
Hurricane Melissa has weakened slightly but remains an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm that’s hammering western Jamaica with 160 mph winds.
Melissa is moving to north-northeast at 8 mph bringing catastrophic winds, flash flooding and storm surge to the island.
The worst conditions will persist for a couple more hours in Jamaica before Melissa reemerges back over water and heads toward eastern Cuba.
Jamaica is no stranger to destructive hurricanes. From Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 to Hurricane Beryl just last year, click here to read about the major storms that struck Jamaica before Melissa.
The American Red Cross and World Central Kitchen are among the organizations prepared to help Jamaica get back on its feet in the coming weeks and months.
Click here to see which organizations are ready to assist.
Hurricane Melissa is ripping across western Jamaica with life-threatening 165 mph winds.
Melissa remains a Category 5 storm, which is the highest hurricane level. Category 5 hurricanes have winds of 157 mph or higher.
The storm is moving north-northeast, bringing catastrophic winds, flash flooding and storm surge to the island.
Tuesday afternoon will be the height of the storm for western Jamaica. Then, Melissa takes aim on Cuba.
