HAVANA/KINGSTON >> Hurricane Melissa unleashed devastation in Jamaica as the strongest storm on record ever to hit the Caribbean island nation, and roared later today into eastern Cuba, smashing the city of Santiago and flooding rural land.

A Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph (298 kph) when it barrelled into Jamaica, Melissa had been downgraded to a still dangerous Category 3 when it hit Cuba with sustained winds of 120 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

“Life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding and landslides, and damaging hurricane winds are ongoing this morning,” the center said.

The historic storm blasted western Jamaica, demolishing homes, knocking down swaths of trees and washing out roadways. Authorities did not yet release details of fatalitie

See Full Page