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Mega-Hurricane Matthew heads for Jamaica, Cuba

This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 at 12:45 AM EDT shows well defined Hurricane Matthew continuing to slowly move westward at about 7 MPH across the Caribbean. Recent reconnaissance missions have revealed max sustained wind speeds up to 160 MPH, bringing Matthew up to a category 5 hurricane. Some of the outer bands can be seen pushing into Hispaniola, as well as Venezuela and Columbia. Matthew is expected to begin its northward turn over the next few days, largely impacting Jamaica next. (NOAA/Weather Underground via AP)
This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 at 12:45 AM EDT shows well defined Hurricane Matthew continuing to slowly move westward at about 7 MPH across the Caribbean. Recent reconnaissance missions have revealed max sustained wind speeds up to 160 MPH, bringing Matthew up to a category 5 hurricane. Some of the outer bands can be seen pushing into Hispaniola, as well as Venezuela and Columbia. Matthew is expected to begin its northward turn over the next few days, largely impacting Jamaica next. (NOAA/Weather Underground via AP) This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 at 12:45 AM EDT shows well defined Hurricane Matthew continuing to slowly move westward at about 7 MPH across the Caribbean. Recent reconnaissance missions have revealed max sustained wind speeds up to 160 MPH, bringing Matthew up to a category 5 hurricane. Some of the outer bands can be seen pushing into Hispaniola, as well as Venezuela and Columbia. Matthew is expected to begin its northward turn over the next few days, largely impacting Jamaica next. (NOAA/Weather Underground via AP)

By Associated Press 3 min read

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) – One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history weakened a little on Saturday as it roared across the Caribbean on a course that still puts Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba in the path of potentially devastating winds and rain.

Matthew briefly reached the top hurricane classification, Category 5, and was the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said its winds had slipped to a still-devastating 155 mph (250 kph) and it was expected to reach the eastern part of Jamaica on Monday.

Jamaicans began clearing out store shelves as they stocked up emergency supplies and Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Friday called an urgent meeting of Parliament to discuss preparations for the storm.

“I left work to pick up a few items, candles, tin stuff, bread,” 41-year-old Angella Wage said at a crowded store in the Half Way Tree area of the capital, Kingston. “We can never be too careful.”