A tourist visiting Jamaica described the record-breaking Hurriane Melissa as "a freight train with a jet engine."

Hurricane Melissa has hit southwestern Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, causing heavy flooding and wind damage.

As airports in Jamaica slowly reopen following Hurricane Melissa, relief efforts are also beginning to pour into the island. From a private hangar at Miami International Airport, one of the first planes bound for Kingston was loaded with hundreds of pounds of supplies coordinated by reggae superstar Norville "Shaggy" Rogers.

Sean Paul will match donations up to $50,000 to help those affected by Hurricane Melissa, the Jamaican dancehall singer and rapper announced on Thursday, Oct. 30.

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.

More than 24 hours after Hurricane Melissa pummelled Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, Chris Garwood was still trying to make contact with his mother and a sibling who live in St. Elizabeth parish.

CBS News Miami has been in touch with families living through the aftermath, including Marvin Edwards, who rode out the hurricane in Montego Bay.

From damaged studios to museums transformed into relief centers, the reggae world copes with the fallout of a monster hurricane