Hurricane Melissa to hit Jamaica
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The hurricane center said in a 5 a.m. ET advisory on Oct. 27 Melissa was located about 130 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica with maximum sustained winds near 160 mph with higher gusts. Jamaican officials have evacuated low-lying areas and opened hundreds of shelters in preparation of "life-threatening" storm conditions.
As Jamaica braces for what may be the most powerful storm in the island nation’s history, Cuba and the Lucayan Archipelago may face direct hits soon after.
Melissa developed into a deadly Category 5 hurricane Monday, Oct. 27, and is expected to have historically catastrophic impacts on the northern Caribbean.
Track the latest forecasts for Hurricane Melissa with USA TODAY's storm tracker for Saturday, Oct. 25. The National Hurricane Center reports Melissa has strengthened into a hurricane in the Caribbean on Oct.