NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Hurricane Melissa has become a truly historic storm — a powerful, slow-moving Category 5 hurricane that’s now setting its sights on Jamaica. The storm has strengthened rapidly and is packing devastating winds and torrential rainfall, with conditions expected to go downhill quickly late tonight into Tuesday.

Right now, Melissa is drifting slowly north-northeast, which means the island will be dealing with its impacts for an extended period of time. That’s part of what makes this storm so dangerous. When hurricanes move slowly, the same areas get hit with hours of pounding rain and damaging wind, greatly increasing the threat for flooding, mudslides, and structural damage.

Jamaica is expected to bear the brunt of the storm, with rainfall totals that could reach 15 to 3

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