Hurricane Melissa made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica as a fearsome Category 5 storm . The most powerful hurricane to lash the island since record-keeping began 174 years ago and one of the strongest Atlantic storms ever recorded, Melissa struck Jamaica with sustained winds of 185 mph, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.

Melissa weakened somewhat after landfall, with the hurricane center saying at 4 p.m. ET that its winds had decreased to 150 mph, now a Category 4 speed.

The storm initially came ashore near New Hope, on the southwestern coast of Jamaica, and was moving toward the north-northeast at about 8 mph, the center said.

Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were already being reported earlier Tuesday as the hurricane made its approach, with officials

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