Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 early Monday as it neared Jamaica, threatening to bring catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. The storm is forecast to dump up to 30 inches of rain on Jamaica, along with life-threatening storm surge along its southern coast.

Melissa is expected to make landfall on the island on Tuesday and cross southeastern Cuba and the Bahamas through Wednesday. The U.S. State Department on Monday issued natural disaster travel alerts for Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and the Bahamas, urging U.S. citizens to consider leaving while flights were still available, or be prepared to shelter in place.

As of the National Hurricane Center's latest update, the hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 175 mph and was inching

See Full Page