Jamaica is bracing for what the National Hurricane Center said would be catastrophic flash flooding and landslides caused by up to 40 inches of rain.

Hurricane Melissa is now a Category 5 storm as it begins a catastrophic, historic, multi-day strike on Jamaica with life-threatening flash flooding, landslides, destructive winds and storm surge.

“Many of these communities will not survive this flooding,” local government minister, Desmond McKenzie, said at a press conference on Monday.