Hurricane Melissa continues to intensify as it approaches Jamaica, with sustained winds reaching 300 kilometers per hour at its center, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

The wind speed makes Melissa the second most powerful storm in Atlantic history, after Hurricane Allen in 1980, which reached 305 kilometers per hour. Authorities are urging residents to immediately move to safe shelters and to place as many walls as possible between themselves and the outside. “This is your last chance to protect your life,” the Center’s statement warns.

Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica’s Meteorological Service, says the hurricane will cause “life-threatening damage” upon landfall. “There is very little that can stop a Category 5 hurricane,” he said, adding that the storm is about 75 kilometers (46 miles) from arrival. He emphasized that the hurricane is likely to make landfall in Westmoreland or St. Elizabeth, on Jamaica’s western coast, before gradually weakening to Category 4 as it moves across the island.

The hurricane is expected to hit land when the eye’s center fully passes over the coast, something expected to happen within the next few hours, raising fears of severe damage to infrastructure and power networks.

Nearly 250,000 people have already lost power in Jamaica, according to the country’s energy minister. “The electrical grid has already been affected by the hurricane’s conditions, causing multiple power outages across the island,” said Daryl Vaz during a press conference.

Meanwhile, meteorologist Jeremy DeHart posted a video on X from inside the massive “eye” of the hurricane.