Hurricane Melissa was hitting eastern Cuba hard early Wednesday after slamming Jamaica as a Category 5 storm. Maps show its forecast path.

Melissa is not expected to make landfall in Florida or the U.S. The powerful storm is expected to make landfall on the island nation of Jamaica Tuesday morning. At 8 p.m., Melissa has maximum sustained winds of 175 mph and gusts of well over 200 mph. Melissa is a dangerously powerful Category 5 hurricane.

"We’ve tried to make the best of it—we hope everyone is safe. This is so scary for all Jamaica," Adrienne Brynteson told Newsweek.

Hurricane Melissa is expected to continue strengthening and become a Category 5 hurricane, according to the NHC, Saturday, Oct. 25.

Scattered and isolated showers are expected along the coast ahead of a cold front moving into South Florida Wednesday night. A coastal flood statement remains in effect for the Florida Keys through late Wednesday. Minor saltwater flooding is likely, and storm drains are likely to overflow in the area.

Hurricane Melissa’s landfall was the strongest landfall on record in the Atlantic — tied with the 1935 Florida Keys Labor Day hurricane.

Hurricane Melissa is expected to crash into Jamaica with a strength reserved for a tiny percentage of Atlantic hurricanes. A hurricane reaching Category 4 or 5 strength is quite a feat in itself. The two categories combined make up about 17 percent of all hurricanes in recorded history.

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