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The family lost everything in the storm, including their 100-year-old home
A British family who relocated to Jamaica have begun rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Melissa destroyed their home and business.
Sabrina Morgan-Mitchell, 45, from Bristol, moved to Robins River in the south-west region of Jamaica two years ago with her husband, Dwight, and their three young children.
Their 100-year-old house’s doors and windows were ripped off in the storm’s 298km/h (185 mph) winds and many of their possessions are ruined. To help them recover, family and friends have launched a fundraiser.
Mrs Morgan-Mitchell, said: “I have never been so frightened. The roar of a hurricane sounded like a devil.”
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The family has started putting temporary coverings in different areas of the house
After the hurricane warning was issued, the family moved to a small room underneath their house, staying in a closet with a mattress for hours.
Mrs Morgan-Mitchell said the family prayed and read Psalms, which helped calm her children.
After leaving the shelter, she said: “My eight-year-old dropped to his knees screaming and crying, saying ‘mummy the house is terrorised’, we lost everything.”
She added the destruction left by the hurricane looked apocalyptic.
Their family business hiring out agricultural machines has also been impacted as equipment was destroyed in the storm.
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Ms Morgan-Mitchell’s family have been receiving support from family and friends
The hurricane made landfall on 28 October as a category five storm in Jamaica, where 28 people were confirmed dead.
About 1.5 million people have been affected by the incident – more than half of the country’s population.
Mrs Morgan-Mitchell said they still wake up in disbelief about what they went through.
“We’ve just got to be grateful for life, because a lot of people lost their lives,” she said.
The family have received help from relatives abroad and were given care packages from charity organisations.
They have also begun rebuilding their business, and their children are set to return to school next week after nearly a month off
Rachel, who lives in Bristol, is “like a sister” to Mrs Morgan-Mitchell and a friend of the family.
She said: “Having been there so many times, it’s hard to reconcile what it’s like now. The house is 100 years old. It’s gone, it’s unbelievable.”
She set up a GoFundMe page to help the family rebuild their lives, and is organising a fundraiser for the family in the Jamaica Club in Gloucester this month.