As Hurricane Melissa continues through the Caribbean, members of the Jamaican community in the Greater Boston area are anxiously trying to contact relatives back home. 

For Delroy Allen, a Wayland High School tennis coach and native of Jamaica, the images coming out of his hometown have been heartbreaking. 

"The church rooftop is blown off. The school rooftop is blown off. A lot of people lost their rooftop," Allen said. "There is no power, there is no electricity, there is no internet. Unfortunately, I can't get in touch with my people." 

Forecasters say the Category 5 hurricane was the most powerful storm to lash the island since record-keeping started 174 years ago.

Communication nearly impossible

Allen said he has tried calling his family dozens of times over the past several days, but the widespread power outages have made communication nearly impossible. 

"I've called 10 or 15 times, I tried to call direct, and nobody answers," he said. "It seems like they don't have power yet. So, it's very, very hard to get in touch with my relatives and friends." 

That same anxiety is being felt throughout the Greater Boston Jamaican community, where many are waiting for updates from family and friends. 

Joann Frye, who has family in Ocho Rios, said she stayed up all night trying to reach them. 

"Just the anxiety, you know is everybody OK?" she said. "You definitely don't want any loss of life, whether it's my family or loved ones or anybody else's. Just the agony of trying to get through, which we understand why we can't get through, but it's agonizing." 

Despite the uncertainty, Frye said the local Jamaican community has been leaning on each other for comfort and support. 

"We're all hunkered down together, making sure that we're all checking in on one another," she said. "I've gotten so many texts this morning from people." 

As communication lines remain down in parts of Jamaica, many in Massachusetts say they will continue to hold out hope until they can get a hold of their loved ones.

Donations being collected for Jamaica

Jennifer James, President of the Jamaican Association of Massachusetts, has received videos from friends and family of the widespread damage. 

Thankfully her family's home is still standing, but right now the organization is mobilizing and joining forces with other groups in New England and in New York to ship containers of urgent essentials like flashlights, generators and water. 

"Oh my god the devastation is immense," James said. "It's really devastating, there's a lot of infrastructure that is gone." 

Right now, Jamaican officials say 25,000 people are packed into shelters. In Cuba, similar scenes played out where 700,000 people are in shelters after Melissa hit as a Category 3 storm. 

It's a long road to recovery awaiting the island nations. "Everything is just going to be a big, devastated country and it's going to be a very tough sell to the Jamaican people," said James. 

The Jamaican Association of Massachusetts says they are taking up donations and the urgent need is water and flashlights.