The storm “totally destroyed” the port of Black River, the prime minister said. At least five people died in Jamaica, and the hurricane killed at least 30 in Haiti. Officials expect the toll to rise.

USAID was the lead American agency in disaster response. Now that it's been dismantled, questions are arising about how effective U.S. relief efforts will be in Jamaica after the hurricane.

The State Department is deploying emergency teams to the Caribbean to help in the response to Hurricane Melissa, which has battered Jamaica and nearby island nations. “In response to catastrophic

Cuban officials report no fatalities, but there has been extensive damage. Multiple Caribbean countries are reeling in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which has been traveling through the region for the past few days, bringing torrential rains, devastating winds, landslides and flash floods.

The storm killed about 20 people in Haiti and flooded more than 160 homes. Five bodies were found in Jamaica, and one person died in the Dominican Republic. The U.S. State Department has asked the military to assist with disaster relief efforts.

At least 19 people have died in Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Melissa, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon says, as search and rescue efforts continue and authorities try to get aid to hard-hit areas. The hurricane, one of the most powerful to strike the Caribbean, also killed at least 30 people in Haiti, officials say.

PORT-AU-PRINCE/KINGSTON/HAVANA (Reuters) -Hurricane Melissa's confirmed death toll climbed to 49 on Thursday, according to official reports, after wreaking destruction across much of the northern Caribbean and picking up speed as it headed past Bermuda in the North Atlantic.

At least 20 people in Haiti died Wednesday when a river overflowed. The storm was expected to hit the Bahamas next.

The U.S. Air Force's "Hurricane Hunters" have flown inside the eye of Hurricane Melissa, capturing eerie footage of the historic storm that has caused widespread devastation in Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa has hit southwestern Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, causing heavy flooding and wind damage.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southwest Jamaica this week near the coastal town of Black River, which the government has described as “ground zero.”