Raheem Sterling sold a lavish property on the south coast of Jamaica just months before a deadly storm wreaked havoc. The Chelsea player was raised in a three-bedroom bungalow in Kingston's Maverley district, where he lived with eight other relatives.

However, he moved to London at the age of five - to start a new life on English shores. Eager to stay connected to his roots, Sterling purchased a modern beach house in Whitehouse, Westmoreland from noted Jamaican-Caribbean painter Patrick Waldemar.

While it is unknown exactly when he bought the property, it was only built in 2020. Made up of four bedrooms and five bathrooms, the property features an open-plan living and dining room, verandas and balconies offering immaculate views of the waterfront.

READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold praying for Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa causes devastation

READ MORE: Alison Hammond supported by co-stars as family are caught in Hurricane Melissa

As per Jamaican daily The Gleaner, Sterling opted to sell the property last February with an at-the-time 18-year-old sixth form student taking the keys off his hands. Just months later, however, disaster struck in the form of Hurricane Beryl.

A Category 4 storm at the time, Beryl swept the southern coast of the island in the June, bringing winds of up to 130 miles per hour. Photos of the aftermath of the hurricane showed floodwater pouring down the streets, while roofs had been ripped from homes due to the fierce gales.

Four people were killed in Jamaica as a result of that tragic disaster, which also saw trees felled and walls collapsing. Many other lives were also lost across the Caribbean, the Yucatan Peninsula and the Gulf Coast of the United States as a result of the storm. The Daily Mailreported that Sterling also owned a sprawling £1m mansion in the island's capital of Kingston back in 2018, though it's not clear if he still has the property.

Jamaica was hit by another deadly storm this week, with Hurricane Melissa claiming the lives of at least five. The Category 5 storm made landfall near New Hope on Tuesday, bringing with it wind speeds of up to 185mph. The family of Chelsea star Sterling were among the 58,000 Brits on the island when the hurricane hit.

As a result, the entire country was declared a "disaster area" - as communities were left flooded and aid teams worked to assess the scale of the impact. According to Desmond McKenzie, who is the deputy chairman of Jamaica's Disaster Risk Management Council, parts of the island were left submerged in water - while hospitals were also reportedly left without power.

He said: "Jamaica has gone through what I can call one of its worst periods. Our infrastructure has been severely compromised.

"St Elizabeth is the bread basket of the country, and that has taken a beating. The entire Jamaica has felt the brunt of Melissa."

In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, a number of footballers and associations have taken to social media to share messages of support with the Jamaican people; including Real Madrid star, Trent Alexander-Arnold. Taking to Instagram, he wrote: "Pray for Jamaica," with emojis of the Jamaican flag, praying hands, a red love heart and a teary-eyed face.

Charlton Athletic player Tyreece Campbell and former Manchester United star, Ravel Morrison, also shared their own messages of support with their followers, as did the Jamaica Football Federation and the Grenada Football Association.

Downgraded to Category 3, Melissa made landfall on the shores of Cuba at around 4am GMT on Wednesday morning, bringing torrential downpours and storm surges. Speaking to the population about the hurricane, Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel said: "It will be a very difficult night for all of Cuba, but we will recover."

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