Hurricane Melissa is among the strongest hurricanes to have formed in the Atlantic Ocean since records were kept, ranking as one the most powerful storms in terms of both wind strength and pressure.

Hurricane Melissa, an intense Category 5 storm, threatened to bring catastrophic winds, heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides as it tracked through the northern Caribbean and neared landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday.

The storm is expected to bring destructive winds and life-threatening and catastrophic flooding and landslides to Jamaica, forecasters say.

The U.S. Air Force's "Hurricane Hunters" have flown inside the eye of Hurricane Melissa, capturing eerie footage of the historic storm that is expected to cause widespread devastation in Jamaica.

Orcabessa Bay is a small town in the Saint Mary Parish, located in the northeast part of the island. It is home to 7,000 people. The town also houses the GoldenEye Villa, a retreat that previously was the private home and beach of Ian Fleming, a British author best known for creating the James Bond series.

Hurricane Melissa is now a powerful Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, moving west at 3 mph as of Monday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The eyewall’s destructive winds may cause total structural failure, particularly in higher elevations, leading to widespread infrastructural damage, prolonged power and communication outages, and isolated communities.