The Jamaican government is urging residents to stay alert for crocodiles after days of torrential rain and flooding from Hurricane Melissa.

As Melissa hit Jamaica with a sustained speed of 185 mph near New Hope, landslides, uprooting of trees and several power outages were reported across the island.

Hurricane Melissa was hitting eastern Cuba hard early Wednesday after slamming Jamaica as a Category 5 storm. Maps show its forecast path.

Satellite imagery captured before and after in areas in Jamaica showcase the widespread destruction caused by the major Category 5 hurricane that packed winds of 185 mph and made landfall as the third-strongest Atlantic Basin hurricane on record.

Scenes of desperation and destruction played out on the streets of Black River, Jamaica. CNN captured raw footage of the reality on the ground after Hurricane Melissa.

Melissa tore through the Caribbean as one of the most powerful storms in history, slamming Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane earlier this week.

(Photo: A person walks down a street affected by Hurricane Melissa; in Santa Cruz, Jamaica, 30 October 2025. Credit: Orlando Barría/EPA/Shutterstock)

The death toll in the wake of Hurricane Melissa continues to rise after the catastrophic and historic hurricane tore paths of destruction across the Caribbean, making destructive landfalls in both Jamaica and Cuba over the past few days.