Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica Tuesday as a powerful Category 5 storm — the worst the island has ever seen. Tampa Bay residents with ties to Jamaica are concerned.

Melissa is likely to make landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane early on Tuesday. Catastrophic damage is forecast.

Eustis was inundated with 19.7 inches of rain, Mount Dora had 17.76 inches, while Port Saint John saw 15.57 inches, according to a 24-hour rainfall analysis by the National Weather Service.

Melissa went from 75 mph to 140 mph in less than 24 hours. Jamaica braces for direct impact.

Showers and thunderstorms during the first half of the workweek could put down around an inch of precipitation, with heavier accumulations expected in the Florida Panhandle.

Melissa becomes the fifth hurricane of this season, likely to become the fourth major hurricane. Jamaica and Cuba are on a direct path.

The Dominican Republic is dealing with severe flooding, while Jamaica will likely be hit by a major hurricane late this weekend.

Melissa is anticipated to crawl over the Caribbean. Heavy rains and dangerous flooding in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Mosquito inactivity begins when temperatures reach around 50 degrees, with mortality setting in as temperatures approach the freezing mark.

Humidity levels will continue to fluctuate as several fronts make their way fhrough Florida. Another push of dry air comes midweek.

Hurricane Kate, which struck the Florida Panhandle on November 21, 1985, remains the latest hurricane on record to make landfall in the continental United States.

There is a high chance of a tropical wave developing over the next 7 days as it moves through the Caribbean. It does not currently pose a threat to Florida.