Lancelot Radcliffe was in tears near the Sangster International Airport, which remained closed on Thursday, east of Montego Bay, Jamaica, after Hurricane Melissa.

Hurricane Melissa intensified to a Category 5 storm on Monday and continued to strengthen as it moved closer to Jamaica, where it was forecast to cause life-threatening flash flooding, landslides, and devastating damage to infrastructure. It arrived on the island’s southwestern coast around noon local time Tuesday.

An isolated island in the Caribbean, Jamaica is no stranger to hurricanes. Hurricane Melissa is currently intensifying and inching closer to the Jamaica coast with the potential to cause catastrophic consequences.

Why meteorologists are so concerned about Tropical Storm Melissa when it becomes a hurricane near Jamaica, Haiti, the Cayman Islands, and Cuba.

Hurricane Melissa slammed into eastern Cuba on Wednesday, leaving behind widespread flooding, power outages and heavy damage — and sparking concern among Cuban Americans in South Florida.

There is nowhere that will escape the wrath of this storm,” said Evan Thompson of Jamaica’s Meteorological Service. Melissa is already blamed for four deaths.

A dad from Greater Manchester said he feared for his family's lives as Hurricane Melissa tore across Jamaica. Kyle Holmes and his family, visiting the Caribbean island from Bolton for his mum's wedding, were forced to hunker down in their Hanover Parish hotel room for 20 hours.

Turbulence got so bad that the Air Force Reserve's Hurricane Hunters were forced to cut short their daring trip and head back to base early.