Roughly 1,000 military personnel and families have been flown to Pensacola ahead of the Category 4 storm that has killed at least seven people in Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica as a Category 5 with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, could bring up to 30 inches of rain.

Hurricane Melissa is set to bring catastrophic winds, flooding and storm surge to Jamaica, forecasters have warned.

Today, Today, there were numerous changes. Melissa developed into hurricane, before turning into a Category 5 hurricane. Then, it weakened to a Category 4 hurricane and was later downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 125 mph.

Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm of the 2025 Atlantic season, made landfall in Jamaica Tuesday as possibly its worst storm in recorded history.

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 when the storm makes landfall, accompanied by large and powerfully destructive waves.

This article originally published at Severe Hurricane Melissa causes cruise ship scramble to Gulf. As winter approaches, it helps to know when to pack a parka or rain gear. AccuWeather has the skinny on what regions will see heavy snow and when.

With winds up to 175 mph, the Category 5 storm has grounded flights, rerouted cruises, and forced resort evacuations.