U.S. forecasters issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica on Saturday as Tropical Storm Melissa reached hurricane strength, threatening catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean.

Hurricane Melissa barrels toward Jamaica as a Category 5 monster storm, threatening record winds, floods, and catastrophic damage.

Jamaica's central location in the Caribbean, the island has never recorded a direct landfall from a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, according to records from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) dating back to 1850.

Tallahassee residents with roots on the island are staying strong and "prayed up" for their loved ones who are bracing themselves for the storm.