Hurricane Melissa has made landfall on Jamaica as the strongest storm to hit the island in the 174 years since records began

Melissa’s 185-mph winds rival the most intense Atlantic storms on record. The Category 5 hurricane is threatening Jamaica with a storm surge of up to 13 feet.

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a Category 5 storm and is forecast to bring destructive winds and storm surge and "catastrophic flooding" to Jamaica through the day, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The National Hurricane Center warns that Hurricane Melissa poses a threat of catastrophic flash flooding and landslides in Jamaica, Cuba and Hispaniola

For the latest on Hurricane Melissa's approach to Jamaica, read USA TODAY's live updates for Tuesday, Oct. 28. As Hurricane Melissa crept closer to Jamaica on Monday, Oct. 27, the island nation braced for what could be its worst hurricane in recorded history,

Hurricane Melissa has intensified into a Category 5 storm as it draws closer to Jamaica, where forecasters say it will unleash catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread damage

Hurricane Melissa is expected to produce catastrophic floods, life-threatening storm surge and heavy infrastructure damage in Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa was set to pummel Jamaica on Tuesday as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, the strongest to lash the island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago. The storm was expected to make landfall early Tuesday and slice diagonally across the island,