Five days after Hurricane Melissa pummelled into western Jamaica with record force, residents in devastated communities along the coast are still desperately waiting for help.
Many of the roads are blocked by debris and people are isolated with little food, no power or running water, and no idea of when normalcy will return.
The government said on Saturday that at least 28 people in Jamaica have died since the hurricane hit as a monster category five storm with 185 mph (297km/h) sustained winds. That is a near 50% jump in the death toll overnight, and the number could rise as officials clear their way into new parts of the island in the coming days.
Local official Dr Dayton Campbell told the BBC 10 of those deaths were in Westmoreland. Westmoreland parish is believed to have the second highest number of unconfirmed deaths, after St Elizabeth to the south east. The eye of the storm hit somewhere between the two neighbouring parishes. At St Elizabeth an estimated 90% of homes have been destroyed.
A long stretch of road headed west into Westmoreland Parish winds through a graveyard of trees – stacks of branches and limbs, cracked and twisted, blanketing the landscape for miles. It is grim evidence of Hurricane Melissa's ferocity - it was the strongest storm to strike the Caribbean island in modern history.
Piles of debris are heaped on the parish's roadsides, next to battered buildings, shipping crates turned on their side, and crowds of people wading through the destruction. On Saturday morning, men with machetes hacked through branches as thick as their arms, clearing patches of the road where traffic jams were at a standstill.
Residents of Whitehouse say the wait for assistance is becoming frustrating. They express anger and despair, with many feeling hopeless and helpless. While the Prime Minister assured that clearing debris and restoring services remains a priority, many locals argue that immediate food and medical aid are urgently needed.
Foreign aid has begun to arrive, with the US State Department announcing the deployment of a Disaster Assistance Response Team and various countries pledging support. However, for many residents like Robert Morris, who lost his fishing business and faces daily struggles for survival, the situation remains dire.
“We just have to try and see what we can do,” said Morris, encapsulating the resilience of a community striving to rebuild amidst overwhelming challenges.
