devastation

In Jamaica, devastation was rampant in western parishes including Westmoreland and Saint Elizabeth.

"We don't know what lies ahead," the officer told the BBC, describing what he has seen as "total devastation".

Cooper said the announcement came as "more information is now coming through on the scale of devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, with homes damaged, roads blocks and lives lost".

In Jamaica, UN resident coordinator Dennis Zulu told reporters Melissa had brought "tremendous, unprecedented devastation of infrastructure, of property, roads, network connectivity."

World War II was still a harsh memory in the minds of everyone older than a young adult, and the bombing raids at its end led to unimaginable devastation.