In the north coast parish of St. Ann, almost all residents are without power -- and many of them woke up without a roof over their heads after Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica, downing trees, utility poles and anything in its path.

Fisherman George "Larry" Brown of the community of Priory said the morning was quiet on the day of the storm.

"Just a little rain," the 68-year-old recalled.

But by 5:00 pm (2200 GMT) on Tuesday, the rain and wind gusts grew heavy and soon, he said, his roof peeled away.

"I just heard a sound, and it just started to tear off," Brown recalled.

He described Melissa as the worst he's ever experienced.

Hurricane Melissa smashed into Jamaica as a ferocious top-level storm, with sustained winds peaking at 185 miles (nearly 300 kilometers) per hour while dr

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