Melissa, dubbed Jamaica’s “storm of the century” by the World Meteorological Organization, quickly surpassed Hurricane Gilbert, which struck the island in 1988 with winds of 130 mph. Gilbert devastated Jamaica, killing 45 people and causing an estimated $700 million in damage.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall Wednesday morning in Cuba as a powerful Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph.

Hurricane Melissa's death toll has risen after the storm left a trail of destruction in Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba — and now heads for the Bahamas.

Hurricane Melissa hit Haiti’s West department, killing at least 20 people, including 10 children, and leaving others missing. As of Wednesday, the unofficial death toll was 23 since the storm first began pummeling the country.

In Haiti, 25 people have died after a river burst its banks during Hurricane Melissa. The storm hit Jamaica yesterday, leaving 77% of the island without power. This morning, it swept across Cuba. The extent of the damage across the Caribbean is not yet known.

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa has made landfall already in Jamaica and Cuba, as one of the strongest hurricanes to ever make landfall.

Hurricane Melissa has made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane -- one of the most powerful hurricane landfalls on record in the Atlantic basin.

Hurricane Melissa barreled into Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm with some of the fastest winds and strongest intensities ever recorded. The storm blew through the Caribbean island’s southwestern coast,