Jamaica’s government on Wednesday declared the island of nearly three million people a disaster area after the first significant storm of this year devastated large parts of western Jamaica, felling power lines, trees, dumping the equivalent of months of rainfall in a few hours, triggering landslides and consequential flooding in residential communities and tourism enclaves, officials said.

Packing winds of up to 185 miles per hour with gusts well over 200 MPH, the Category Five storm came ashore midday in Westmorland, ripping off roofs from private and commercial properties, police stations, and at least four hospitals.

In St. Elizabeth, Hanover, and tourism paradise St. James, the power company reported that up to 7 % of its customers are without power and will remain in darkness for a

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