Hurricane Melissa, a catastrophic Category 5 and the strongest to threaten Jamaica in 174 years, was set to make landfall early Tuesday, cutting from St. Elizabeth to St. Ann before heading for Cuba. Landslides, toppled trees and power outages were already reported; a surge up to 13 feet threatened southern coasts, prompting some hospitals to move patients upstairs. The storm has been blamed for seven deaths across the Caribbean. Cuba prepared for late-Tuesday landfall with evacuations of more than 600,000 people and hurricane warnings, as forecasts pointed Melissa toward the southeastern Bahamas by Wednesday evening.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.