As powerful Hurricane Melissa creeps toward Jamaica on Tuesday morning, here's how you can help those impacted by the catastrophic storm

Hurricane Melissa has made landfall on Jamaica as the strongest storm to hit the island in the 174 years since records began

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.

Hurricane Melissa is set to pummel Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, the strongest to lash the island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago

Hurricane Melissa is close to making landfall on Jamaica as the strongest storm to hit the island in the 174 years since records began

KINGSTON/HAVANA (Reuters) -Hurricane Melissa began lashing Jamaica with violent gusts on Monday as the U.S. National Hurricane Center upgraded it to a Category 5 storm packing sustained winds of 165 mph,

Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 storm, is forecast to bring life-threatening winds, flooding and storm surge to Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa has rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm due to warming oceans linked to climate change