ST. ELIZABETH, Jamaica — The Black River Hospital has been left in ruins after Hurricane Melissa unleashed record-breaking winds and storm surges across Jamaica, causing catastrophic destruction to the facility and the wider St. Elizabeth parish.

Images circulating on Tuesday show the hospital’s roof torn apart, several walls collapsed, and the compound submerged under floodwaters strewn with debris. Medical staff and patients were forced to evacuate as conditions rapidly deteriorated, with rising water levels and flying debris making the site unsafe.

Authorities said the hospital, which serves thousands across Jamaica’s southwest, has been rendered inoperable. Emergency teams are working to relocate patients to nearby facilities amid ongoing power outages and impassable roads.

Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, continues to pound Jamaica with destructive winds and torrential rainfall, leaving widespread devastation in its path. Rescue and recovery operations remain hampered by blocked roadways, downed power lines, and severe flooding.