Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 5 storm early Monday, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to bring catastrophic flooding to the northern Caribbean.

The Caribbean reels from one of its strongest storms, and relief efforts are slowed by impassable roads and disrupted infrastructure

Respire Haiti’s local team is surveying flooded communities, identifying areas hit hardest by Hurricane Melissa, and coordinating relief efforts for families

Hurricane Melissa's death toll has risen after the storm left a trail of destruction in Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba — and now heads for the Bahamas.

The storm's slow movement is expected to bring a deluge of rain to multiple countries in the Caribbean, and prolong its dangerous impacts over a period of several days.

Hurricane Melissa hit Haiti’s West department, killing at least 20 people, including 10 children, and leaving others missing. As of Wednesday, the unofficial death toll was 23 since the storm first began pummeling the country.

In Haiti, 25 people have died after a river burst its banks during Hurricane Melissa. The storm hit Jamaica yesterday, leaving 77% of the island without power. This morning, it swept across Cuba. The extent of the damage across the Caribbean is not yet known.