By Associated Press18:51

The Jamaican government said it had done all it could to prepare as it warned of devastating damage from the strongest hurricane to hit the island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago.

"There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5," Prime Minister Andrew Holness said.

"The question now is the speed of recovery. That's the challenge."

Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported as Melissa came ashore near New Hope, with officials in Jamaica cautioning that the cleanup and damage assessment could be slow.