South Floridians were gathering supplies and sending money on Tuesday as Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded.

Melissa, dubbed Jamaica’s “storm of the century” by the World Meteorological Organization, quickly surpassed Hurricane Gilbert, which struck the island in 1988 with winds of 130 mph. Gilbert devastated Jamaica, killing 45 people and causing an estimated $700 million in damage.

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 followed what has unfortunately become a pattern for major storms: It formed late in the season, intensified rapidly, then stalled near the coast.

"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.

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.