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

From nearly 2,000 miles away, some Milwaukeeans feel the impact of Hurricane Melissa — and are working to offer support to Caribbean communities.

As a Category 5 storm, Hurricane Melissa left a path of destruction across Jamaica. The worst hurricane to hit the island made landfall on Oct. 28, and resulted in devastating flooding, mudslides, power outages, and food shortages. And the effects are expected to last into the coming months.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba overnight after battering Jamaica as one of the most powerful landfalling storms in Atlantic basin history.

Communities across the Caribbean are reeling in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which ripped through Jamaica, Cuba and Hispaniola, the island comprising Haiti and the Dominican Republic, this week. While officials said that damage assessments remained underway to determine the full scope of the destruction,

Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, has carved a devastating path through the Caribbean this week.

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.

Scientists say hurricanes are intensifying faster with greater frequency as a result of warming ocean waters caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

Parts of the Caribbean were slowly surveying the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Melissa on Thursday after the storm brought destruction to the region and left dozens of people dead.