Category 5 Hurricane Melissa crashed into Jamaica on Tuesday, unleashing lashing waves, 185-mph winds and life-threatening flooding. The storm, stronger than Katrina at its peak, stayed catastrophically powerful as it ground across the island and crawled toward Cuba, where nearly 900,000 people were ordered to evacuate. Melissa is the fourth of this year’s five Atlantic hurricanes to rapidly intensify. Across the islands, recovery and cleanup are only beginning, with the scope of damage just starting to come into view.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.