It also marks the first time in 20 years that three or more Category 5 hurricanes have developed over the Atlantic Basin in one season. The last time was in 2005, when Hurricanes Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma all reached Category 5—breaking a record.

Hurricane Melissa is still an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane. The eye of the storm is approaching western Jamaica and is forecast to make landfall in the next few hours. Catastrophic winds,

Hurricane Melissa is now among the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record. The monster storm strengthened Tuesday before hitting Jamaica, bringing with it maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph).

Up to 40 inches of rain, 13 feet of storm surge and 160 mph sustained winds will cause “extensive infrastructure damage” that will cut off communities, the National Hurricane Center warned. Melissa has already killed three people in Haiti and Jamaica each and one person in the Dominican Republic.

While Hurricane Melissa is forecast to pass well off South Carolina’s coast, the storm may offer insight into what the future could look like in cyclone-prone regions

Despite being in a rather active region for tropical activity, the country has experienced no landfalls greater than Category 3 in the modern record. Hurricane Charlie in 1951 is considered the worst natural disaster for the country during modern times.