The strongest storm to strike the Caribbean island in modern history, the hurricane sustained winds of 298 km/h (185 mph) at its peak - stronger than Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, killing 1,392 people.

According to the NHC, the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, developed in 1971 by civil engineer Herbert Saffir and meteorologist Robert Homer Simpson, is a rating of 1 to 5 based on a hurricane's sustained wind speed and its potential for significant loss of life and damage.

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.

While September is typically peak hurricane season, four of the biggest hurricane records were set in October.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba overnight after battering Jamaica as one of the most powerful landfalling storms in Atlantic basin history.

CORE, which has previous experience responding to storms in the Caribbean, has deployed air cargo ships of hygiene kits, tarps and essential relief supplies to Jamaica and is preparing to send resources to Haiti. The organization is accepting donations here.

As the people of Jamaica are urged to 'seek shelter now' before Hurricane Melissa makes landfall, worrying forecasts show just how catastrophic this storm could be, with maps turning black in some pla

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday with catastrophic winds and the potential for widespread flooding and landslides. The Category 5 storm is one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history,

This late-season surprise behemoth went beyond 'extreme' rapid intensification and now ties Katrina and Andrew as the 10th strongest hurricane ever recorded.

Hurricane Melissa is packing sustained winds of up to 175 m/h (282 km/h) as the slow-moving Category 5 storm barrels towards Jamaica, in what could be the largest on record for the Caribbean island.