Former Hurricane Melissa left a trail of devastation in the Caribbean as authorities surveyed damage and counted the dead.

The storm will hit Bermuda on Thursday afternoon or evening, after Jamaica faced the devastation from one of the most powerful storms ever recorded.

Saying "recovery cannot be left to chance," Edmund Bartlett said Jamaica's Ministry of Tourism has activated a Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) -More than 30 people have died in the Caribbean due to Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane. Jamaica faced the worst of the storm, with at least 8 fatalities and more than 70% of the country left without power.

Hurricane Melissa is now moving northeast from Cuba after hammering the island with powerful winds and rain. As the storm scrapes Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas with its destructive force, residents in low-lying and flood prone areas have been urged to evacuate ahead of a shelter-in-place order coming tonight.

The updates sent by friends and neighbors on WhatsApp confirmed what fisher Prince Davis already feared: Hurricane Melissa put a hole in the stern of his 50-foot (15-meter) fishing boat, and damaged the cabin and back deck.

(THE CONVERSATION) Across Jamaica, streets are littered with torn-off roofs, splintered wood and other debris left in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. Downed power lines have left communities in the dark, and many flooded and wind-damaged homes are unlivable.

Hurricane Melissa is quickly moving away from Bermuda after leaving a trail of widespread destruction across the Caribbean, where the death toll continues to rise.Dozens of deaths have been blamed on the storm.

After Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica and the Caribbean, the travel industry quickly responded to support recovery efforts.

The storm left widespread destruction and at least dozens of deaths in its path. In Chicago, people are looking for ways to help.