The strongest storm to directly hit Jamaica before Melissa was Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, which made landfall as a category four hurricane, according to the US National Weather Service. Damaging winds and heavy rain have hit eastern Cuba, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Melissa made a second landfall Wednesday in eastern Cuba near Chivirico as a Category 3 storm, a day after barreling into Jamaica as the strongest hurricane to hit there since 1851.