Hurricane Melissa made landfall in eastern Cuba early Wednesday as a Category 3 storm after pummeling Jamaica as a Category 5. Widespread damage in Jamaica has been reported as Melissa slammed ashore near the town of New Hope, destroying homes and businesses.

In Jamaica, the storm hit with winds of 185 mph, causing extensive damage and leaving over half a million people without power. Evan Thompson, Principal Director at Meteorological Service Jamaica, had warned ahead of the storm, "It will cause catastrophic damage, life-threatening damage. There is very little that can stop a category five hurricane."

Flooding from Melissa killed at least 40 people in Haiti, as at least 25 of them died after La Digue river burst its banks and flooded nearby homes. Dozens of homes collapsed, and people

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