Category 5 Hurricane Melissa sped up early Tuesday, Oct. 28, making landfall at New Hope, Jamaica around 1 p.m., bringing catastrophic winds and flooding as the strongest storm — and only Category 5 hurricane — ever recorded in the nation’s history.

Historic, life-threatening flash flooding and landslides are expected in portions of Jamaica, southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic through the weekend, the NHC said. Peak storm surge heights could reach 9 to 13 feet above normal tide levels when the storm makes landfall, accompanied by large and powerfully destructive waves.

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