Mercy Chefs, a disaster relief organization, has established operations on Jamaica’s west side in St. Elizabeth, an area that had received minimal assistance until now, according to the organization’s founder and CEO Gary LeBlanc.

People in New Hampshire who have loved ones in Jamaica are waiting for updates from the country after Hurricane Melissa stormed across the island.

Follow live updates on Hurricane Melissa as the death toll reaches 38 people. Recovery efforts are underway in Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

At first light on Wednesday, the coastal communities of southwestern Jamaica bore the devastation of being in the direct path of Hurricane Melissa.

Hurricane Melissa intensified to a Category 5 storm on Monday and continued to strengthen as it moved closer to Jamaica, where it was forecast to cause life-threatening flash flooding, landslides, and devastating damage to infrastructure. It arrived on the island’s southwestern coast around noon local time Tuesday.