KINGSTON, Jamaica — Hurricane Melissa strengthened further Tuesday as it crawled toward Jamaica, where officials and residents braced for catastrophic winds, flash flooding and landslides from the Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history.

The streets in the capital, Kingston, remained largely empty as Melissa approached, save for the lone stray dog crossing puddles and a handful of people walking briskly under tree branches waving in a stiff wind.

The Jamaican government said it had done all it could to prepare as it warned of catastrophic damage from the strongest hurricane to hit the island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago.

“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said. “The question n

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