Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified Monday into a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds reaching 160 mph as it barreled toward Jamaica.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Melissa is expected to pass near or over Jamaica as a major hurricane early Tuesday morning before striking Cuba later that night. The slow-moving storm could dump up to 30 inches across much of Jamaica and southern Hispaniola, with isolated areas seeing as much as 40 inches.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING | Tracking Hurricane Melissa Cat 5 Hurricane Melissa targets Jamaica

"Do not venture out of your safe shelter," the NHC said Monday as the storm approached Jamaica. "Catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely today through Tuesday. Catastrophic winds in the e

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