Coast Guard staff conducted aerial surveys to assess the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa in the Bahamas.

Emergency responders from Coast Guard Air Station Miami aboard an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft observed the storm's widespread impact across the islands on October 30.

The mission, part of ongoing relief and assessment operations, aims to provide critical information to aid organisations and authorities as they plan recovery efforts and support affected communities.

Melissa made landfall on Jamaica's south-western coast around 1 pm ET on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre described the situation as 'extremely dangerous and life-threatening'. The storm had previously made landfall in Cuba and passed through the Bahamas as a Category 1 hurricane.

Authorities reported on Saturday that the freak weather had left at least 60 people dead across the Caribbean.