Jamaican officials urged the public to get to higher ground and shelters ahead of Hurricane Melissa's expected landfall Tuesday, with the prime minister warning it could bring massive devastation.

The Category 5 storm -- which could be the island's most violent on record -- is charting a painstakingly slow path through the Caribbean, and has already been blamed for three deaths in Jamaica, three deaths in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Melissa was still 150 miles (240 kilometers) from Kingston late Monday, and reaching maximum wind speeds of 175 miles per hour.

Its heavy rains combined with intense winds could wreak devastation on par with historic hurricanes, including 2017's Maria or 2005's Katrina, which left indelible im

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