Hurricane Melissa made landfall along Jamaica's southwestern coast Tuesday as an extremely powerful Category 5 storm.

Hurricane Melissa has rapidly intensified into a major Category 4 storm, producing maximum sustained wind speeds of 145 mph. If it maintains its strength, it could become the strongest hurricane to make landfall over the island since the National Hurricane Center started keeping records.

Founded in Santa Barbara in 1948 by Holocaust refugee William Zimdin, Direct Relief began as a small, personal effort to send supplies to war-torn Europe, Morain explained. “According to our history, his butler and his partner started sending relief packages from their pantry in Montecito.”

Melissa killed dozens in Haiti when a river burst its banks and left tens of thousands without electricity in Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa— one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded—is now off Cuba’s eastern coast, after leaving a trail of destruction across the large island and its much smaller neighbor, Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa moves toward Bermuda after more than 30 die across Caribbean More than 30 deaths are being attributed to the storm across Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, according to officials.

The storm left widespread destruction and at least dozens of deaths in its path. In Chicago, people are looking for ways to help.

Hurricane Melissa, the strongest tropical cyclone of 2025, disrupts Caribbean travel, closing airports and causing widespread flight cancellations.