CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn (WABC) -- With Hurricane Melissa expected to make landfall in Jamaica early Tuesday morning, those on the island are being warned to prepare for catastrophic wind, relentless rain and record storm surge.

It is a deeply unsettling time for New York City's Jamaican community, many of whom are praying for the best as their loved ones on the island brace for the hurricane.

For many Jamaicans, concerns about Melissa remind them of another storm: Hurricane Gilbert.

"A lot of these people have lived through Gilbert and they know what's about to come worse," said Michelle Robinson, an attorney.

Hurricane Gilbert caused catastrophic damage in Jamaica in 1988. The Category 5 storm would go down as the most destructive storm to ever hit the country.

Many worry that Hurri

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