Hurricane Ivan has skirted the Jamaican shoreline leaving a trail of destruction and is now heading for the Cayman Islands and Cuba.
The storm felled large trees and poles, flooded streets, swept away houses, and left the island in the dark.
Sporadic shooting broke out on the deserted streets of the capital, Kingston, when looters went on the rampage.
The hurricane was one of the most powerful in Jamaica's history with waves around two-storeys high reported on its eastern shores.
It is thought winds strengthened to 155mph.
Half a million Jamaicans, over one-sixth of the population, were urged to evacuate low-lying areas as Ivan approached, but many stayed to protect their homes from looters.
Prime Minister PJ Patterson declared a state of emergency and the national electricity grid was shut down leading to a blackout across the island.
