BREAKING: Hurricane Melissa has strengthened with winds now at 180 mph and a central pressure drop to 896 mb. The storm is one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record as it nears Jamaica's southern coast. This is an extremely dangerous, life-threatening situation. Watch: | The Weather Channel

Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in history, wreaked havoc on the Caribbean island leaving as many as 25,000 tourists stranded. Melissa brought 120mph to Cuba after making landfall on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm after it arrived in Jamaica as a Category 5 one. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island was a 'disaster area' on Tuesday afternoon as he seeks to 'prevent any exploitation at a time when citizens are securing food,