NEW HOLLAND, ST. ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Designed to withstand 150-mph winds, the egg farm Osbourne Brumley built with his life savings in western Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth parish proved no match for Category 5 Hurricane Melissa.

On Tuesday, Melissa’s 185-mph (298-kph) winds tore across the western side of the island, damaging Brumley’s facility and killing thousands of chickens.

St. Elizabeth, considered Jamaica’s breadbasket, was left reeling after the storm, which flattened fields of yams, pumpkins, potatoes, and cassava in western Jamaica and caused losses among livestock.

The damage has stirred fears the country of 2.8 million people, where at least 28 people died because of the storm, could face shortages of food staples as farmers struggle to recover and replant.

Agriculture Minister

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