Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has sadly identified the town of Black River as the nation’s “ground zero” for the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. The hurricane, packing winds of 185 mph (295 km/h), made a direct landfall on the island’s southwest coast on Tuesday, leaving a trail of destruction.
Tragically, at least 19 lives have been lost in Jamaica due to the hurricane’s fury, and authorities have cautioned that search and rescue operations are still in their critical early stages.
BBC Verify correspondent Nick Beake has been examining the emerging footage and photographs, providing a closer look at the impact on this affected community. The video accompanying this report was produced by Meiying Wu.
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