Watch: 'Hurricane Hunters' capture video in eye of Melissa before turbulence forces them back

(NEXSTAR) – The U.S. Air Force's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron captured footage of the towering walls inside the eye of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa Monday, before "heavy turbulence" forced them back, the division said in a statement.

Melissa made landfall in Jamaica Tuesday, bringing catastrophic 185 mph maximum sustained winds and heavy flooding.

Known as the Hurricane Hunters, the Air Force squadron experienced "forces stronger than normal due to turbulence," according to the statement, which continued, "while this does not automatically indicate damage, standard safety procedures require an inspection before returning to operations."

Before turning back, however, the Hurricane Hunters were able to capture the round window of clear, blue sky at the core of the massive hurricane. Also visible was the so-called "stadium effect," with the sweeping cloud walls extending up and outward into the sky, resembling stands.

In a similar incident, "severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall" forced a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aircraft to leave Melissa earlier than planned on Monday.

Melissa makes landfall as officials, residents brace for the worst

Heavy floodwaters swept across southwestern Jamaica, winds tore roofs off buildings and boulders tumbled onto roads Tuesday as Hurricane Melissa came ashore as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.

Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council, urged people to seek shelter and stay indoors as the storm crosses the island.

“Jamaica, this is not the time to be brave,” he said.

The Jamaican government said it had done all it could to prepare as it warned of devastating damage from the strongest hurricane to hit the island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago.

“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said. “The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.”

NOAA warned residents of Jamaica not to leave any safe shelter.

"Catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely today through Tuesday," the bulletin read. "Catastrophic winds in the eyewall have the potential to cause total structural failure especially in higher elevation areas tonight and early Tuesday."

Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported as Melissa came ashore near New Hope, with officials cautioning that the cleanup and damage assessment could be slow. The storm is expected to slice diagonally across the island and head toward Cuba, where intermittent rains were falling.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.