At least 20 people, including 10 children, have died and another 10 are missing in flooding in southern Haiti caused by powerful Hurricane Melissa, Agence France-Presse reported, citing local authorities.

The Haitian civil protection service said that search operations are continuing to locate the missing locals. The flooding was caused by a river overflowing its banks, which swept away several houses, BTA reports.

The hurricane, which AFP said was the most powerful to make landfall in 90 years, hit Jamaica on Sunday. Melissa also reached the coast of Cuba on Sunday, where President Miguel Diaz-Canel said it had caused"significant damage."

The recorded deaths from the hurricane in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Haiti are now at least 30.

UN officials say the devastation caused by Melissa is reaching"unprecedented levels" in Jamaica."From what we know so far, there has been massive, unprecedented destruction of infrastructure, property, roads, communications and power networks. People are in shelters across the country and initial assessments are currently indicating that the island nation has been devastated to levels never seen before," said UN coordinators for countries in the Caribbean region, including Jamaica.