After devastating Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas, Hurricane Melissa is heading toward Bermuda. Will it affect Florida?

A plane carrying 28 Floridians who were stranded in Jamaica in the wake of Hurricane Melissa landed in Tampa Saturday afternoon.

Historic, life-threatening flash flooding and landslides are expected in portions of Jamaica, southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic through the weekend, the NHC said. Peak storm surge heights could reach 9 to 13 feet above normal tide levels in Jamaica, accompanied by large and powerfully destructive waves.

Melissa is not expected to make landfall in Florida or the U.S. The powerful storm is expected to make landfall on the island nation of Jamaica Tuesday morning. At 2 p.m., Melissa has maximum sustained winds of 165 mph with higher gusts. Melissa is a dangerously powerful Category 5 hurricane.

Forecasters said the colossal amount of rain dropped on parts of Florida east and north of Orlando was comparable to what the region saw from a hurricane in 2022, underscoring the state's vulnerability to extreme weather far beyond the tropical storms that brew offshore.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southwest Jamaica this week near the coastal town of Black River, which the government has described as “ground zero.”

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened back into a Category 2 hurricane after devastating Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas and is heading toweard Bermuda.