"We have lost all that money can buy," Mr Skerrit said in a Facebook post.

The hurricane suddenly strengthened to a "potentially catastrophic" category five storm, before making landfall on the Caribbean island.

Earlier Mr Skerrit posted live updates as his roof was torn off, saying he was "at the complete mercy" of the storm.

"My greatest fear for the morning is that we will wake to news of serious physical injury and possible deaths as a result of likely landslides triggered by persistent rains," he wrote after being rescued.

Meanwhile officials on the French island of Guadeloupe are warning locals to stay sheltered, even if the hurricane appears to be easing in parts.

Houses and roads have been submerged and half of the rain expected in the region has yet to fall, the Prefect of Guadeloupe, Eric Maire, has warned.

"The phenomenon is still ongoing, it is necessary to remain in a safe place even if lulls appear," Mr Maire said.

Hurricane Maria is moving roughly along the same track as Irma, the hurricane that devastated the region earlier this month.

It has maximum sustained winds of 260km/h (160mph), and was downgraded to a category four after hitting Dominica, before picking up full strength again.

Life-threatening mudslides, flash floods and storm surges have been predicted by the US National Hurricane Center, which monitors the region.

How was Dominica affected?

Dominica, a former British colony with a population of 72,000, is less than 50km long and 25km wide, and the eye of the storm passed directly over it.

It made landfall at 21:00 local time (01:00 GMT Tuesday), and Dominica's PM has called the damage "devastating" and "mind boggling".

"My focus now is in rescuing the trapped and securing medical assistance for the injured," he said, and called on the international community for help. "We will need help, my friend, we will need help of all kinds."

Curtis Matthew, a journalist based in the capital, Roseau, told the BBC that conditions went "very bad, rapidly".

"We still don't know what the impact is going to be when this is all over. But what I can say it does not look good for Dominica as we speak," he said.

All ports and airports are closed and residents near the coast have been ordered to go to authorised shelters.