Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 5 storm early Monday, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to bring catastrophic flooding to the northern Caribbean.

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.

Forecasters are warning residents of Jamaica to "seek shelter now," as Melissa, a Category 4 hurricane, was making its way toward the Caribbean island nation early Monday. The storm was expected to make landfall along Jamaica's southern coast on Tuesday morning,