Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane early Monday morning, with winds eclipsing 165 mph.
The storm is barreling toward Jamaica and expected to devastate the country’s southern coast with up to 40 inches of rain and 13 feet of storm surge.
Melissa could potentially become the worst hurricane in Jamaica’s recorded history.
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“Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for vulnerable coastal areas of Jamaica,” CNN noted.
The country has also evacuated parts of the capital, closed airports, and opened hundreds of shelters.
The storm has already caused three deaths in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.
Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 storm, is bearing down on Jamaica with up to 40 inches (101.6 cm) of rain and 160 mph (260 km/h) winds,
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