Jamaica is facing widespread devastation after Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm in the nation’s history, tore across the island overnight, leaving much of the country without electricity or phone service.

Journalist Nick Davis described catastrophic scenes of flooding, mudslides, and roofs ripped from homes, with palm trees “tossed like toothpicks” as the storm unleashed its fury.

In Montego Bay, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie confirmed that parts of the city were cut off completely after rivers overflowed by as much as 16 feet (4.9 meters). The hospital sustained damage, government buildings were flooded, and a homeless shelter had to be evacuated.

Emergency teams have been receiving distress calls from residents trapped on rooftops, but rescue efforts have been hampered by the flooding and downed infrastructure. McKenzie said no fatalities have been confirmed at this time but cautioned that communications remain limited in several parishes.

Amid the destruction, there were moments of resilience. McKenzie revealed that three babies were delivered safely during the hurricane, including one he referred to as a “Melissa baby” — a symbol, he said, of Jamaica’s ability to “rise to the occasion even in the darkest hours.”

Screenshot of Black River Police

After crossing Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa struck Cuba early Tuesday with winds of up to 115 mph (185 km/h), bringing torrential rain and life-threatening storm surges. A resident there described the night as “terrifying… it sounded like a tornado.”

The storm is now moving northeast toward the Bahamas and Bermuda, where authorities have issued warnings for dangerous winds, flooding, and coastal surges in the coming hours.

Despite the chaos, Jamaicans have already begun clearing debris and checking on neighbours — a familiar act of solidarity in the face of nature’s most destructive test.