Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said whatever the outcome of Hurricane Melissa, The Bahamas would “rebuild” and “rise again”.

Hurricane Melissa has caused devastating flooding in Haiti, leading to at least 20 deaths on the island. Many homes have been washed away in the floodwaters and people have been clearing debris with their bare hands, Pascal Bimenyimana from the World Relief NGO says.

Hurricane Melissa is rolling across the southern Bahamas as a weaker storm and will impact Bermuda on Thursday.

Hurricane Melissa was bearing down on the Bahamas on Wednesday after carving a destructive path through the Caribbean, leaving at least 30 people dead or missing in Haiti and widespread devastation across Jamaica and Cuba.