Sophie Leroy, 31, who now lives in London but lived on Tortola from the age of two to 29, has been speaking to friends she is able to communicate with about the devastation.

She said: "I really don't think people understand the scale of destruction. I have been through many hurricanes. This is like nothing I have ever seen in my entire life. It is uninhabitable and will be for months.

“This is very serious. Parts of the island are still inaccessible, people are unaccounted for and can't be searched for until roads are clear. In some places, there are just no more roads.

“Most of the island and all of the other islands are without communication - comms blackout."