Hurricane Melissa has hit southwestern Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, causing heavy flooding and wind damage.

It’s been nearly a week since Hurricane Melissa made its first catastrophic landfall in Jamaica, and the death toll is continuing to rise.

The most powerful storm to hit the region since 1988 could inundate some areas of eastern Jamaica with up to 40 inches of rain. The arrival of its core has been delayed by stalling.

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a major Category 4 hurricane, with the possibility of intensifying to a Category 5 storm Sunday night, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean,

Jamaicans are taking stock after Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm to strike the island in modern history, barrelled across the country leaving behind a trail of ruin. Without power or phone coverage, much of the country is isolated and so information is trickling through.

Jamaican officials warned Sunday that some communities may not survive “catastrophic” flash floods as Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 4 storm, inched slowly toward the island. Melissa was packing maximum sustained winds of 145 mph and moving west at 5 mph,

The Category 5 storm ravaged western Jamaica and drenched the small community of New River, where residents were coping with a massive clean up. At least 19 people have died nationwide, officials said.

Sarasota County is allocating nearly $14.5 million for the initial phase of dredging Phillippi Creek to address flooding. The project follows severe flooding from Hurricane Debby in 2024, which highlighted significant sediment buildup in the waterway.