Hurricane Melissa intensified to a Category 5 storm on Monday amid forecasts of “life-threatening flash flooding,” landslides, and “destructive winds” expected to impact Jamaica ahead of its landfall on Tuesday.

The storm is expected to be the strongest to ever hit the island.

"Many of these communities will not survive this flooding,” Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica’s minister of local government, warned during a news conference on Monday. "I want to urge Jamaicans to take this seriously.”

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned local residents not to leave their shelters.

Seven communities were placed under emergency evacuation orders starting on Sunday night. More than 800 shelters have been opened across Jamaica, although only 218 people were housed in the shelters as o

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