Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 early Monday as it neared Jamaica, threatening to bring catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread damage to homes and infrastructure.

Hurricane Melissa began lashing Jamaica with violent gusts on Monday as the U.S. National Hurricane Center upgraded it to a Category 5 storm packing sustained winds of 165 mph, the largest on record t...

“If those rains were to occur, you’re talking about catastrophic flooding potential,” said Jamie Rhome, the center’s deputy director.