Members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department are on their way to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 storm , killing at least 19 people and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

Jamaica took a direct hit and was left with extensive damage, including roofless homes, wiped-out roads and destroyed infrastructure. It was one of the most powerful hurricanes on record to make landfall in the Atlantic Basin.

The search and rescue team, known as USA-2, was ordered by the U.S. State Department to respond to the storm-battered nation to assist in recovery efforts.

The team departed from LAX Thursday night and was expected to land Friday morning. It is made up of 34 members and four search dogs. Together, they have 42,000 pounds of equipment.

Fire Chief Ant

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