Man's 'mixed feelings' leaving hurricane island

Karlton Fields was on holiday in Jamaica's Montego Bay when Hurricane Melissa made landfall

A holidaymaker in Jamaica with his family when Hurricane Melissa hit said he had "mixed feelings" about leaving the devastated country in its hour of need

Karlton Fields, from Hereford, described going outside his hotel room last Tuesday and being hit by "foggy mist moving at the speed of a race car".

As rainwater poured in through light fittings and from balconies, he and his family raided hotel stores to barricade their doors with towels and helped others do the same.

He returned home on Sunday, but said: "The hardest part about it for me was the fact that we were leaving when this country needed help, but it just seemed that we were the priority, to get us out and safe."

The Jamaican government said on Monday that 32 people had died since the hurricane made landfall as a category five storm, with 185mph (300km/h) sustained winds.

At the time, Mr Fields was in Montego Bay with his boys, aged 5 and 3, and his parents, their sea-facing room rumbling with the sound of the wind and the crashing waves echoing through the hotel's halls.

He said the hurricane was "amazing and fascinating to see, but also at the same time terrifying", adding his family was safe.

In the aftermath, he helped clean up the hotel and described locals expecting to see the hotel "in ruins" surprised to see it standing.

In the surrounding area, he saw parts of roofs missing, beach fronts covered in debris and palm trees snapped in half.

"How anything could have survived those winds is just unbelievable," he told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

Jamaica has been devastated by the hurricane, with many routes cut off and people without power and water

'Phenomenal spirit'

Despite the destruction, Mr Fields described the Jamaican spirit as "phenomenal", with many people still focusing on the wellbeing of visitors.

"If you could have that spirit anywhere in the world, I think the world would be a better place," he said.

Many roads in the country have been blocked by debris, leaving people isolated with little food, no power or running water.

Mr Fields said his route to the airport had been cleared but described the bus brushing against low-hanging power cables.

"The infrastructure of the country is in ruins," he said. "I would love to help out more.

"What about all the Jamaicans, what about their houses, their families?

"For me I get to come home... they're all just stuck there just having to deal with the wreckage that Melissa has left."