Hurricane Melissa intensified into a Category 5 storm Monday as it drew closer to Jamaica, where forecasters expected it to unleash catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread damage. At that strength,

NEW ORLEANS ( WGNO) — Hurricane Melissa has become a truly historic storm — a powerful, slow-moving Category 5 hurricane that’s now setting its sights on Jamaica. The storm has strengthened rapidly and is packing devastating winds and torrential rainfall, with conditions expected to go downhill quickly late tonight into Tuesday.

As Hurricane Melissa barrels toward Jamaica, a Delaware County, Pennsylvania, woman is holding onto hope and her heritage from her kitchen. Lileith Brown owns Taste Jamaica Now, a takeout business she runs from her apartment in Media. The smells of jerk chicken, curry goat and oxtail remind her of the country she still calls home.

Melissa is forecast to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane and bring life-threatening rainfall, landslides and storm surge to Jamaica, Haiti and elsewhere.