Jamaicans are bracing for Hurricane Melissa, which has strengthened into a "catastrophic" Category 5 storm, the strongest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale. 

Melissa, supercharged by warm Caribbean waters, is packing sustained winds of up to 175 miles per hour, with the slow-moving storm barreling toward Jamaica – possibly the largest on record for the Caribbean nation. Melissa's wind field is actually bigger than Jamaica itself – and with airports sitting near sea level, the island remains on high alert.