At first light on Wednesday, the coastal communities of southwestern Jamaica bore the devastation of being in the direct path of Hurricane Melissa , as images emerging from the area show numerous homes destroyed, vehicles overturned, power lines downed and trees uprooted.

One of the hardest-hit communities appeared to be the town of Black River, where many homes and businesses were left in ruins by the powerful Category 5 hurricane that made landfall on Tuesday. Twisted sheets of metal and busted concrete lay in ruins in the streets of the village, as first responders were seen in the footage weaving through downed power lines in search of survivors.

Satellite images of Black River before and after Hurricane Melissa

Some coastal areas of Jamaica, including Black River, were also hit w

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