Hurricane Melissa was hitting eastern Cuba hard early Wednesday after slamming Jamaica as a Category 5 storm. Maps show its forecast path.

More South Florida cities and organizations are stepping up to help those in the Caribbean who have been impacted by<a class="excerpt-read-more" href=" More

Tropical Storm Melissa could reach Category 5 as it rapidly intensifies, with forecasters warning of a potential 'humanitarian disaster' while impacts will be felt as far as Florida next week

Footage from a U.S. Air Force weather reconnaissance flight that passed through Hurricane Melissa’s eye confirms you probably don’t want to be there. The U.S. Defense Department released the video after flying multiple passes through the Category 5 storm on Monday to collect weather data for the National Hurricane Center.

The two categories combined make up about 17 percent of all hurricanes in recorded history. Those reaching Category 5 — like Melissa — historically make up more like 4 percent of hurricanes. And fewer than half of the strongest two categories of hurricanes go on to hit land at such intensity.

The National Hurricane Center warns that Hurricane Melissa poses a threat of catastrophic flash flooding and landslides in Jamaica, Cuba and Hispaniola