Catastrophic photos show Hurricane Melissa's trail of devastation across Jamaica
After Hurricane Melissa bombed its way through Jamaica, governments and locals are left to pick up the pieces.
Hurricane Melissa came ashore in Jamaica Tuesday as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, and it will continue on to hit eastern Cuba as a major hurricane, expected early Wednesday.
Evacuations are underway as up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain and a significant storm surge are forecast for areas of eastern Cuba.
In Jamaica, Melissa's rain and 185 mph (295 kph) winds caused landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages as officials cautioned the damage assessment would be slow.
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Hurricane Melissa made landfall in eastern Cuba near the city of Chivirico early Wednesday as a Category 3 storm after pummeling Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Hundreds of thousands of people had been evacuated to shelters in Cuba. A hurricane warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguin and Las Tunas, as well as the southeastern and central Bahamas.
1 of 10 Photos show Hurricane Melissa's trail of devastation across Jamaica
Trees were fallen from the strong gales produced by the hurricane.
Early Wednesday, Melissa had top sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) and was moving northeast at 12 mph (19 kph) according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane was centered 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of Guantánamo, Cuba, and 230 miles (370 kilometers) south of the central Bahamas.
(Image:AFP via Getty Images)2 of 10 Photos show Hurricane Melissa's trail of devastation across Jamaica
The agency warned Cuban residents to remain sheltered and that preparations for the storm in the Bahamas "should be rushed to completion."
The extremely violent Category 5 system was still crawling across the Caribbean, promising catastrophic floods and life-threatening conditions
(Image:AFP via Getty Images)3 of 10 Photos show Hurricane Melissa's trail of devastation across Jamaica
A blown-down fence is seen in St. Catherine, Jamaica.
The storm also damaged four hospitals and left one without power, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients, McKenzie said.
(Image:AFP via Getty Images)4 of 10 Photos show Hurricane Melissa's trail of devastation across Jamaica
More than half a million customers were without power as of late Tuesday as officials reported that most of the island experienced downed trees, power lines and extensive flooding.
5 of 10 Photos show Hurricane Melissa's trail of devastation across Jamaica
The government said it hopes to reopen all of Jamaica's airports as early as Thursday to ensure the quick distribution of emergency relief supplies.
The storm was already blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.
6 of 10 Photos show Hurricane Melissa's trail of devastation across Jamaica
Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica's Disaster Risk Management Council, noted that extensive damage was reported in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which he said "is under water."
(Image:AFP via Getty Images)7 of 10 Photos show Hurricane Melissa's trail of devastation across Jamaica
He said severe damage also was reported in parts of Clarendon in southern Jamaica.
Almost every parish in the country is experiencing blocked roads, fallen trees, damaged utility poles and excessive flooding, McKenzie said.
(Image:AFP via Getty Images)
8 of 10 Photos show Hurricane Melissa's trail of devastation across Jamaica
Elsewhere, the hurricane caused damage in the nearby Dominican Republic.
Here, two man fix the roof of a house ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Melissa in Barahona.
(Image:AFP via Getty Images)9 of 10 Residents in Cuba have been preparing for the mega-hurricane to make landfall in their country with preventative measures.
Here, you can see locals holding pieces of the roof before Hurricane Melissa hits the city of Santiago de Cuba.
(Image:AFP via Getty Images)10 of 10 Others have been out to collect water ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Melissa, as well as other vital supplies for survival.
Relief organizations are already mobilizing to help across the northern Caribbean. As is typical in disasters, nonprofit groups told The Associated Press that cash is the best form of assistance, since unsolicited goods donations can overwhelm already strained systems.
(Image:AFP via Getty Images)