HURRICANE Melissa killed at least 19 people in Jamaica when it tore through the island, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said today, as rescue teams continue efforts to reach isolated areas.

The storm, among the most powerful ever to hit the Caribbean, also killed at least 30 people in Haiti, officials confirmed.

“There are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened,” Ms Dixon said, describing “devastating” scenes in western regions.

Most of Jamaica remains without electricity, water and food, leaving thousands desperate for help. 

While Kingston’s airport has largely reopened, smaller regional airports and many roads remain blocked, forcing aid convoys to take up to eight hours to reach towns such as Black River.

“People are hungry,” said Monique Powell, a resident of Greenfield, one of the hardest-hit communities.

In Haiti, many victims died when a river overflowed in Petit-Goave, while about 15,000 people are sheltering in emergency centres, United Nations officials said.

No deaths have been reported in Cuba, though authorities say more than three million people were exposed to “life-threatening conditions.”

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm with winds of up to 185mph.