Melissa dissipates, leaves destruction and at least 50 dead in Caribbean

Residents jam a street in Black River in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Picture: Matias Delacroix/AP

Melissa, one of the strongest storms on record to make landfall in the Caribbean, began to dissipate on Friday after sowing devastation across much of Jamaica, cutting off communities in Cuba, drenching Haiti and leaving at least 50 dead.

Melissa was the most powerful storm ever to directly hit Jamaica, and the first major hurricane to do so since 1988. US forecaster AccuWeather estimated $48bn to $52bn in damage and economic loss across the western Caribbean.