Category 5 Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as the strongest storm — and only Category 5 hurricane — ever recorded in the nation’s history.

Melissa, a strong Category 5 hurricane, neared landfall on the Caribbean island nation of Jamaica early Tuesday, raising fears of a humanitarian crisis.

Evan Thompson with the Meteorological Service of Jamaica warned that the impending landfall of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa would cause catastrophic and “life-threatening” damage. Thompson advised seeking shelter in buildings with as many walls as possible to separate them from the outside.

Hurricane Melissa to hit Jamaica as catastrophic Cat 5 on Tuesday, Oct. 28. Here’s how Sarasota-Manatee residents can help.

The National Hurricane Center's 4 p.m. Tuesday advisory reported that Category 5 Hurricane Melissa is in the Caribbean Sea, 40 miles southeast of Negril Jamaica and 235 miles southwest of Guantanamo Cuba. With maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, the hurricane is moving to the north-northeast at 9 mph.

The most powerful storm to hit the region since 1988 could inundate some areas of eastern Jamaica with up to 40 inches of rain. The arrival of its core has been delayed by stalling.

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Hurricane Melissa was at Category 4 early Sunday and forecast to be at Category 5 over the Caribbean in the next 24 hours as it heads for a Jamaica landfall, forecasters said. The storm, expected to cause life-threatening flooding and landslides ...