20 cm) of rain on Jamaica and 15 inches (38 cm) in the mountains, raising the prospect of deadly flash floods and mudslides. The National Hurricane Committee in the Cayman Islands warned the colony's 45,000 residents to be ready for as much as 8 inches (20 cm) of rain and waves up to 12 feet (3.5 metres) high along the south coast of Grand Cayman. Emily slammed Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday and Thursday. Few hurricanes reach Category 5 status, with winds over 155 mph (250 kph). Hurricane Andrew, which hit southern Florida in 1992 and became the most expensive storm in U.S. history with more than $25 billion in damage, was a Category 5 with winds of 170 mph (275 kph). So too was Hurricane Mitch, which had 180 mph(290 kph) winds at its peak. It killed more than 9,000 people in Central America in 1998.
