India, Oct. 30 -- Hurricane Melissa is racing northeast toward the Bahamas after tearing through Jamaica and eastern Cuba, leaving devastation in its wake.

Ferocious winds ripped roofs from homes and buildings, reducing some structures to their frames.

Flooded city streets and airports have brought aid operations to a standstill, stranding roughly 25,000 tourists in Jamaica.

Local officials told media that commercial flights may not resume until the weekend, though planes carrying emergency supplies could be cleared to land as soon as Thursday.

As of 11 a.m. New York time, Melissa was sustaining winds of 100 miles (161 kilometers) per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

The storm is expected to reach the Bahamas by W...