Jamaica Reels from Strongest Hurricane in its History
BBC News
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People were stuck on roofs after Jamaica's strongest-ever hurricane, a minister says, as most of the country remains without power
Our correspondent in Kingston, Nick Davis, reports floods, mudslides, and "palm trees tossed like toothpicks"
At least 20 people – including 10 children – are reported to have died in river floods in Haiti, which is to the east of Jamaica
After crossing Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa hit Cuba, bringing 115mph winds and heavy rain and warnings of "life-threatening" storm surges
"The night was terrifying," one man in Cuba tells us. "It sounded like a tornado. I was awake all night"
The hurricane is now moving north-east towards the Bahamas and Bermuda
Are you in the path of the hurricane? Get in touch via email, external or WhatsApp +44 7756 165803, external
Edited by Johanna Chisholm and Sean Seddon, with reporting from Nick Davis in Jamaica
A fallen tree on Tuesday before Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica
It's too early to know the full impact of Hurricane Melissa, but initial details of the damage – as we heard in a briefing a short while ago – are beginning to come to light, particularly through the help of voices on the ground.
Our reporters and correspondents are continuing to reach out to people impacted by Hurricane Melissa, but if you would like to get in touch, and it is safe to do so, you can reach us here.
Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter
Families have been sheltering in schools and churches in Haiti
As we've just mentioned, Haiti is expected to see "catastrophic" flash flooding and landslides in some parts today, which has forced several thousand people into shelters across the country.
"Many homes have been washed away on the coast," says Pascal Bimenyimana from the Christian NGO, World Relief, in Port au Prince.
"You can see many roofs have been taken off. People are clearing the debris with their bare hands."
Bimenyimana says 3,000 people are in shelters in the south of the country. A lot of the shelters are churches, which are supported by his teams in the field.
But much of the relief work is being supported by friends and neighbours, he says.
"Torrential winds, violent rain and flooding," have destroyed crops across the country's south, he adds.
At least 20 people – including 10 children – have died in river floods in Haiti, local authorities have told AFP news agency.
A further 10 people are missing, the country's civil defence agency says.
A reminder, Haiti is expected to see "catastrophic" flash flooding and landslides in some places today. The Caribbean country is significantly less developed than its neighbours, and is likely to see "extensive damage and isolation of communities".
“It is not going to be an easy road, Jamaica,” says local government minister Desmond McKenzie.
He tells the press conference they have seen the extent of the damage and will do everything to ensure a speedy response that adheres to protocols and is within the law.
He says he is sure people will have woken up this morning “wondering what their future will be like”.
“The government is here, we are committed”, he says, adding the people of Jamaica can expect a comprehensive report on the status of the country in the coming hours.
With that, the briefing comes to a close.
A baby was safely delivered by midwives while Jamaica was being hit by the hurricane, McKenzie said at the briefing a short while ago.
"There is a Melissa baby," he says, thanking medical staff for their actions under extreme circumstances.
He says another two deliveries occurred during the hurricane, which McKenzie says is a demonstration of how Jamaica can "rise to the occasion" in difficult times.
While providing his update, local government minister Desmond McKenzie touched on the situation in St James parish, which includes Montego Bay.
He says the river overflowed with 16ft (4.9m) of water.
Public infrastructure was severely impacted, he says, adding that the hospital was damaged, government offices flooded, and a park for the homeless had to be evacuated.
Officials report receiving distress calls from people stuck on roofs in Montego Bay, he says.
First responders are focusing on evacuating people who need it, McKenzie adds – but much of the area remains cut off.
Health facilities in the area have been devastated, he says.
Desmond McKenzie, a local government minister, says there have been no official reports of fatalities so far.
He says the government "cannot presume" there have been deaths and there will be no official statement until the situation becomes clearer.
The press conference has ended, but stick with us as we bring you some more key lines.
Dr Dana Morris Dixon now turns to the impact of the hurricane on schools.
She says they are still getting assessments through from schools on how they have been affected, adding they know there is “significant damage” in western Jamaica.
She says their goal is to open certain government ministries as soon as they can so they can deliver essential services.
It is important to get places like Kingston, where there was “minimal damage”, back up and running, she adds.
Jamaica's information minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon is continuing with her update and confirms that 77% of the country remains without electricity.
The least affected areas are:
The hurricane has left significant damage, she says, adding that it is slow to get information out of Montego Bay, which suffered a direct hit.
Officials are working to get airports operational again. They are hoping to get Norman Manley International Airport, near Kingston, up by tomorrow.
There is no information on the airport in Montego Bay, she adds.
There are downed power lines across the country, Jamaican authorities say
Dr Dana Morris Dixon is now speaking again.
The minister says the government has been issued an "all clear" to utility companies, meaning they are now able to go out and begin repairing water, energy and telecommunications infrastructure.
Supermarkets and pharmacies have been asked to open as soon as possible so people can access services.
But people are urged to continue to exercising caution on the roads, with scattered debris, downed power lines and flooding widespread.
We're continuing to hear from Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service.
He says the hurricane is no longer a threat to Jamaica, but there is a flash flood watch in place.
The danger of flash flooding is primarily in the northern part of the island, he adds, which should expect more rain.
Authorities are now moving to the recovery phase, he says.
We're listening to officials giving a briefing on the developing situation in Jamaica now.
Dr Dana Morris Dixon, a local minister, begins by saying that it looks "really, really difficult" in parts of the country, with "devastating" images emerging.
She continues: "But we are a strong people, we are a resilient people and we will get through this together."
Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service, is next up in providing an update and says this was the first storm of its kind in the history of Jamaica.
"We have been through it," he says.
Thompson confirms a tropical storm warning, which had remained in place overnight, has now been lifted for Jamaica but warns that the country is still in an "unstable situation".
The edge of the weather system could continue to bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of Jamaica as the day wears on, he says.
We're now getting an update from Jamaican authorities on how things look this morning, after Hurricane Melissa – the strongest storm to hit the country – made landfall on Tuesday.
We'll be hearing from Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service, local government minister Desmond Mckenzie and Richard Thompson, acting general of Jamaica's Office of Disaster Preparedness.
We'll be bring you the key lines from the press briefing here, but you can also follow by pressing watch live above.Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter
I've been speaking to Rovier Mesa Rodríguez, a video maker who lives in Santiago de Cuba, a part of the island that was battered by Hurricane Melissa.
"The night was terrifying," he says. "There was a lot of wind and rain, it sounded like a tornado. I was awake all night."
He says it still feels too dangerous to go out of the house because of the wind and rain – opening the front door, he says, still presents too much of a risk for him.
His house was spared significant damage, Rodríguez says, but his mother – who lives in another part of town – wasn't as lucky. Her home was flooded, but she's still sheltering a few people.
Her neighbours are trying to help remove the water from the house, he says.
Meanwhile, outside his own home, he says people are starting to clean up fallen trees.
Hurricane Melissa hit Cuba this morning with 115mph winds and heavy rain, but it has now moved across the island and is making its way into the southwestern Atlantic.
We can now bring you an update from the country's president on the aftermath of the storm, who says there is "considerable damage".
"I ask our people not to let their guard down, to maintain discipline and continue well protected," Miguel Díaz-Canel says in a post on X.
He adds the country prepared for a worst-case scenario, which helped the response.
Pia Chevallier, from Cambridge, is on holiday in Jamaica and has been sheltering with her son at a resort 40 minutes away from Montego Bay, and she has been describing the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
"We have just been allowed to get some breakfast but the damage is absolutely horrendous," Chevallier tells BBC News.
"The windows didn't stop vibrating. There is just devastation everywhere. Palm trees blown off, tiles from roofs, paths blocked, debris from everywhere.
I was feeling sick with worry, my whole body was shaking and worried we might not come out of this alive. I was so scared."
Pia Chevallier
We're now seeing pictures from the west-central Jamaica parish of Manchester, which show people walking through floodwater on emptied streets.
It has not been long since the sun rose over the Caribbean island, so people are now starting to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa for themselves.
People walk along the side of a flooded road in Prospect, Manchester
Many broken and uprooted trees line the roads in Manchester, Jamaica
In the last few moments, the UK government has announced that it will be providing £2.5m to support Jamaica in its relief efforts.
Supplies and technical experts have also been deployed to help with the disaster response.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says: “Specialist rapid deployment teams have also been positioned in the region to provide consular assistance round the clock to British nationals affected by the devastation of Hurricane Melissa.”
The government asks British nationals in Jamaica to register here., external
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Nick Davis
Reporting from Kingston, Jamaica
As Jamaica starts a new day, the true extent of Hurricane Melissa is being revealed. With 75% of the country without electricity overnight, the numbers without shelter, injured – or perhaps dead haven't even begun to be counted.
But the stories are coming out – people have shared clips of roads that became rivers, mudslides on the hills, roofs being ripped from buildings and palm trees tossed like tooth picks.
But without power or phone coverage, much of the country is isolated – technologically and physically – with additional rainfall causing flooding and landslides.
The country's prime minister, Andrew Holness, has declared the island a disaster area. Funds from a Caribbean insurance policy created for just this type of national emergency will help to pay for some of the immediate costs and relief is already inbound from around the world.
The airport in Kingston is expected to reopen for aid flights later in the day
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