Hurricane Melissa, which is stronger than Hurricane Katrina, is set to bring catastrophic winds, flash flooding and high storm surges to the island of Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa barreled toward eastern Cuba, where it was expected to make landfall as a major storm early Wednesday after pummeling Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.

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.

Hurricane Melissa has hit Cuba after leaving a trail of destruction in Jamaica, though the full extent of its impact remains unclear. Watch and follow live below.

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.

While Hurricane Melissa is forecast to pass well off South Carolina’s coast, the storm may offer insight into what the future could look like in cyclone-prone regions

Melissa made landfall on Jamaica's southwestern coast around midday Tuesday as a Category 5 storm, with sustained winds of 185 mph, making it the strongest hurricane of the Atlantic season to date and the most powerful hurricane to ever hit the island.

Matthew Cappucci, a senior meteorologist at MyRadar and storm chaser, spoke with NBC News’ Kate Snow about his experience flying into the eye of Hurricane Melissa aboard a NOAA aircraft and the concerns over the Category 5 storm making landfall.