The storm was making its way to the Bahamas and Bermuda on Thursday morning as Jamaica confronted the devastation from one of the most potent storms ever recorded anywhere.

Tens of thousands of Jamaicans were in shelters, and more than two-thirds of the island was still without power, according to officials.

Hurricane Melissa has been upgraded to a Category 5 storm, with dangerous winds, storm surge and flash flooding expected in Jamaica, forecasters said.

The Government is looking to rush emergency supplies, including food and water, to the six parishes and more than 170 communities most severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa over the next 48 hours. Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie told a media briefing held at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) on Thursday that the six worst-hit parishes are St Elizabeth,

Hurricane Melissa intensified to a Category 5 storm on Monday and continued to strengthen as it moved closer to Jamaica, where it was forecast to cause life-threatening flash flooding, landslides, and devastating damage to infrastructure. It arrived on the island’s southwestern coast around noon local time Tuesday.

Samaritan's Purse sent its first relief airlift to Jamaica on Thursday in the aftermath of the disastrous Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica and other Caribbean nations this week. (Courtesy of Samar

Melissa tore through the Caribbean as one of the most powerful storms in history, slamming Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane earlier this week.