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In the north coast parish of St. Ann, almost all residents are without power -- and many of them woke up without a roof over their heads after Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica, downing trees, utility poles and anything in its path.

A demolished church, roofs blown off homes, shattered windows and debris-strewn, impassable roads: Hurricane Melissa dealt a direct hit to Jamaica's southwestern coastal communities that face a long haul picking up the pieces.

Under sheets of rain and laden with possessions, residents of southeast Cuba fled inland Tuesday -- escaping the peril of the coast before Hurricane Melissa's arrival.

Jamaican health authorities on Tuesday urged residents across the island to be vigilant for crocodiles displaced by Hurricane Melissa.

Hurricane Melissa, already a major category 4 storm, gathered steam Sunday as it took aim at Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean, with forecasters predicting catastrophic flooding and urging residents to seek shelter immediately.