Members of Waterloo region's Caribbean association say they are feeling anxious and optimistic as Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, made landfall in Jamaica Tuesday afternoon.

Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of devastation across Jamaica after making landfall on Tuesday as one of the most powerful storms ever to strike the Caribbean nation. With winds reaching 185 mph and rainfall exceeding 30 inches in some areas,

Jamaica has ordered the evacuation of its capital as it braces for what’s thought to become the most “catastrophic” hurricane in the island’s history.

The center of Hurricane Charlie skirted the southern coast of Jamaica on the night of Aug. 17, 1951, before it made landfall early the next morning as a strong Category 3 storm, bringing destructive winds to the entirety of the island, according to the NHC. The strongest winds at Kingston were measured at 110 mph.

A County flight crew prepares to deliver relief supplies to Jamaica later this week as catastrophic Hurricane Melissa slams the island.

Celebrity Beyond’s Oct. 26 itinerary will visit the Western Caribbean rather than the Eastern Caribbean, according to the cruise line’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Group. The ship will visit Costa Maya in Mexico, Belize and Roatan, Honduras.