Hurricane Melissa is grinding across eastern Cuba as a Category 3 storm after pummeling Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. Authorities in Cuba have evacuated more than 700,000 people to shelters. Forecasters say the Category 3 storm could unleash catastrophic damage in Santiago de Cuba and nearby areas on Wednesday. The storm is expected to generate a storm surge of up to 12 feet and drop up to 20 inches of rain in some places. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Melissa is forecast to move into the Bahamas later Wednesday. Jamaica is busy assessing the damage there.