Powerful Hurricane Beryl has hit Jamaica with heavy winds and rain, damaging buildings and felling trees on the Caribbean island.
The category four storm brought winds of up to 130mph (215km/h) on Jamaica's southern coast.
Social media photos show floodwater pouring down streets, with roofs ripped off by the wind.
The storm has killed at least seven people so far as it sweeps across the Caribbean. It has now been downgraded to a category three storm, and is due to make landfall in Mexico later on Friday.
"It's terrible. Everything's gone. I'm in my house and scared," Amoy Wellington, resident of a rural farming community in the southern St Elizabeth parish, was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
"It's a disaster."
Prime Minister Andrew Holness earlier urged people to "take this hurricane seriously".
"If you live in a low-lying area, an area historically prone to flooding and landslide, or if you live on the banks of a river or a gully, I implore you to evacuate to a shelter or to safer ground," he said.
Three people died in Grenada, where it first made landfall on Monday, one in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and another three in northern Venezuela, which was hit by strong winds and flooding.
About 90% of homes were destroyed or severely damaged on Union Island, which is part of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
'Almost whole island homeless' in Hurricane Beryl's wake
Parts of Jamaica earlier experienced disruption to power and electricity supplies, with the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) saying it was forced to pause restoration of power lines in some locations for the safety of their workers.
In a news briefing, the NHC's director, Dr Michael Brennan, said Jamaica would experience "devastating hurricane force winds".
Rainfall in some parts of the country could hit 12in (30cm), potentially leading to flooding and mudslides, the director explained, while life-threatening storm surges as high as 9ft (2.7m) above tide level are also expected.
"Everybody in Jamaica needs to be in their safe place and be prepared to stay there for at least the next 12 hours," Dr Brennan warned.
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