Jamaican New Yorkers react to catastrophic Hurricane Melissa

Torrential rains and turbulent winds caused widespread damage as Hurricane Melissa barreled through Jamaica. Much of the infrastructure on the island was not made to withstand 185 mph winds.

“It has been rough. It has been rough knowing that some of our buildings are not geared for this,” said Bishop Cecil Riley, a Jamaican-born New Yorker and the pastor at Freedom Hall Church of God in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.

What You Need To Know

Officials say some 15,000 people were in shelters and nearly 80% of the island was without power

Some 260,000 people of Jamaican origin live in the city, making it the largest concentration in the country

Much of the infrastructure on the island was not made to withstand 185 mph winds

The Category 5 storm is the strongest hurricane to ever hit the island. Officials say some 15,000 people were in shelters and nearly 80% of the island was without power. In New York city, residents worried for their Jamaican brothers and sisters.

“The people, nine or eight out of 10, would rather stay there to protect whatever they can than to walk away. That’s the spirit of the Jamaicans, and that is a dangerous part. We always ask people to please leave, and that’s the last thing for them to do,” Bishop Riley said.

His church also has two locations in Jamaica itself that, luckily, have weathered the storm.

“I think our bright side now is this too will pass. And most Jamaicans have that inside — that it’s not the end, no matter what we’re going through. So, that’s what’s happening with this hurricane. It is really hitting us hard,” Bishop Riley said.

Some 260,000 people of Jamaican origin live in the city, making it the largest concentration in the country. Bishop Riley says the Jamaican people are incredibly resilient and full of pride — two attributes that will serve as a North Star during these turbulent times.

“There is a little bit of something in the authentic Jamaican. A brotherly love, a sisterly love that binds us together. And especially when there’s a need like this, people will come to help,” he said.