Follow live updates on Hurricane Melissa as the death toll reaches 38 people. Recovery efforts are underway in Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

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

Officials continue to assess the full extent of the devastation wrought by Melissa, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms ever to make landfall.

Emergency water systems and medical teams deployed to Jamaica following Category 5 Hurricane Melissa with additional Samaritan's Purse relief flights planned.

When the storm grew into Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, the couple’s flight home was canceled. Unable to book another flight home, with the main airport closed, they were stranded in the storm’s path. They barricaded their room’s windows with furniture, and took shelter in the bathroom.

As airports in Jamaica slowly reopen following Hurricane Melissa, relief efforts are also beginning to pour into the island. From a private hangar at Miami International Airport, one of the first planes bound for Kingston was loaded with hundreds of pounds of supplies coordinated by reggae superstar Norville "Shaggy" Rogers.

A tourist visiting Jamaica described the record-breaking Hurriane Melissa as "a freight train with a jet engine."

Sean Paul will match donations up to $50,000 to help those affected by Hurricane Melissa, the Jamaican dancehall singer and rapper announced on Thursday, Oct. 30.