From NPR.

The National Hurricane Center says the top-of-the-scale Hurricane Melissa continues to strengthen just hours before it is expected to slam into Jamaica, with top sustained winds at 185 mph. Forecasters say it’s approaching Jamaica’s southern coast, where leaders have pleaded with people to get to shelters.

The only comparison in Jamaican history is Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall as a Category 4 in 1988. The National Hurricane Center warns the damage in Jamaica will be catastrophic.

The Jamaican government says three people have already been killed trimming trees in preparation for the storm.