Category 5 Hurricane Melissa destroyed homes, ripped up trees, and knocked out power after making landfall on Jamaica’s south-western coast on Tuesday as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record, inundating the island with rain that triggered flash floods and landslides.

The devastation left by the first hurricane to form in the Caribbean this year resulted in Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness declaring Jamaica a disaster area under the Disaster Risk Management Act.

Additionally, the Government issued the Trade (Sale of Goods During Period of Declaration of Threatened Area) (Tropical Storm Melissa) Order, 2025. Both took effect on Tuesday and “give the Government the tools to continue managing its response to Hurricane Melissa,” Holness said.

Melissa was the worst hurricane to ever strike Jamaica with maximum wind speeds clocking 185 miles (300 kilometres) per hour.

Even as wind speeds dipped to 150 miles per hour, Melissa drenched communities and wreaked damage that may take days to assess as communication links remained largely down.

Hurricane coverage Pages 2-10, 16-20