Hurricane Melissa approaches Jamaica
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Jamaica's central location in the Caribbean, the island has never recorded a direct landfall from a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, according to records from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) dating back to 1850.
Jamaica faces massive infrastructure damage from Melissa — hospitals, roads and homes hit hard; emergency crews and the Jamaica Defense Force are delivering supplies.
Hurricane Melissa strengthened to Category 5 with 175 mph winds as it approaches Jamaica, threatening to become the strongest hurricane to hit the island since 1851. Authorities ordered mandatory evacuations while warning of catastrophic flooding,
KINGSTON (Reuters) -At least 19 people died as a result from Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, the country's information minister told Reuters, bringing the total confirmed death toll from the storm to at least 44.