FAIRFAX, Virginia — First responders from across Virginia have been activated by the State Department to respond to Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Virginia Task Force 1 is sending a 34-person rapid assessment team to the island. Four rescue dogs will also make the trip.

The task force was activated on Wednesday, but it's not clear when the rescue team will leave the commonwealth.

Heavy floodwaters swept across southwestern Jamaica, winds tore roofs off buildings and boulders tumbled onto roads Tuesday as Hurricane Melissa pummeled the Caribbean island as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.

Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported as Melissa hit with 185 mph (295 kph) winds near New Hope, with

See Full Page