“Almost every parish is experiencing blocked roads, fallen trees and utilities poles and excess flooding."

As Hurricane Melissa slams into the southern coast of Jamaica, the catastrophic Category 5 storm is expected to spawn intense storm surges and mudslides in the country's steep, mountainous terrain.

It is expected to slice diagonally across the island, entering near St. Elizabeth parish in the south and exiting around St. Ann parish in the north, before heading for Cuba.