Hurricane Melissa is currently a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph as it's "starting to accelerate northeastward over the Bahamas," the National Hurricane Center said.

After weakening to a Category 1 hurricane after its passage across the rugged terrain of eastern Cuba, by Wednesday afternoon Melissa was recovering over the waters around the speckled islands of the southeastern Bahamas.

Melissa is an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 hurricane plowing through Cuba after the storm made a historic landfall in Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history. Follow for live updates.

As of 5 p.m. ET Tuesday, Melissa was still a powerful Category 4 storm, with winds of 145 mph. The hurricane is centered about 15 miles east of Montego Bay and about 200 miles southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba. It is moving north-northeast at 8 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Hurricane Melissa cut through the southeast Bahamas Wednesday and is expected to pass just west of Bermuda by late Thursday.

Melissa is an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 hurricane as it closes in on Cuba after the storm made a historic landfall in Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history. Follow for live updates.

Last night hurricane Melissa rolled over parts of the Bahamas. It was a category 2. Now it is moving away from that island chain. Enhanced Satellite: Melissa It did cause a lot of destruction over

The storm killed about 20 people in Haiti and flooded more than 160 homes. Five bodies were found in Jamaica, and one person died in the Dominican Republic. The U.S. State Department has asked the military to assist with disaster relief efforts.

Hurricane Melissa left dozens dead and widespread destruction across Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti on Wednesday, and it continued on to pass through the Bahamas as a weakened storm.

# The Plan was designed to create an enduring, non-partisan road map or guide for The Bahamas’ short, medium and long-term economic and social development, while setting out a series of benchmarks and milestones - together with associated timelines for their attainment - to measure progress.