With the help of satellites, we are beginning to get an understanding of just how catastrophic Hurricane Melissa was. On Oct. 28, Hurricane Melissa became the fourth hurricane in

So far, the Atlantic has seen 13 named systems during hurricane season, with Erin, Humberto and Melissa reaching Category 5—the strongest rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which reflects a given storm’s maximum sustained wind speeds.

Satellites around Earth watched as a powerful Hurricane Melissa traveled toward Jamaica.

Parts of the Caribbean began surveying the damage caused by the deadly Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in Jamaica as a powerful Category 5.

Images from a helicopter over Black River, a coastal town of 5,000 in southwestern Jamaica, show the extent of the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

With power down, problems with communications and navigating parts of the island treacherous, the authorities in Jamaica have not yet been able to give a detailed assessment of the damage inflicted by Hurricane Melissa. But the devastating impact of the Category 5 storm on communities is starting to be revealed by satellite imagery.

Melissa is only the fifth Atlantic hurricane on record to achieve sustained winds of 185 m.p.h. or greater, joining the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Gilbert (1988), Hurricane Wilma (2005) and Hurricane Dorian (2019).

NOAA trackers expect Hurricane Melissa to make catastrophic landfall in Jamaica Tuesday. How to watch live cam video updates, track spaghetti models and more.