Hurricane Melissa hit the island of Jamaica with a force rarely seen when it comes to storms.
It brought torrential rain, storm surge and winds close to 200 miles per hour.
What You Need To Know
Hurricane Melissa hit the island of Jamaica with a force rarely seen when it comes to storms
Thousands of people are in emergency shelters. Hundreds of thousands are without electricity
At least 260,000 people of Jamaican descent live across the five boroughs, making the city the largest concentration of Jamaicans in the U.S.
Thousands of people are in emergency shelters. Hundreds of thousands are without electricity.
Officials are now starting the recovery phase.
At least 260,000 people of Jamaican descent live across the five boroughs, making the city the largest concentration of Jamaicans in the U.S.
Although there is major devastation on the island, many Jamaicans in New York are relieved after getting in contact with loved ones back home.
On Dyre Avenue in the northeast Bronx, one woman waiting to get on the bus spoke to her granddaughter in Kingston on the phone.
The granddaughter’s name is Samantha.
“Everything [is] good man. We are having sunshine,” she said. “Yeah, man, we made it through. Everything [is] good on our side.”
But she admits it was terrifying as the storm passed across Jamaica.
The community around Dyre Avenue is heavily Caribbean. People in the area have been keeping up with news about Hurricane Melissa’s impact on the islands.
The rare category five hurricane came across Western Jamaica.
One man named Charlie said he spoke to his family.
“Find out it is not that serious [on] my part,” he said. “I am from the eastern part of Jamaica, St. Thomas, and it’s just a lot of rain,” said Charlie.
Others were not able to contact loved ones immediately. They remain hopeful that their families and friends are OK, despite the widespread destruction and power outages.
A man named Alvin said his family is in Kingston and he has been worried for days since Melissa became a hurricane.
“I can’t even tell you the feeling, man. I feel it in my gut when I hear that storm is definitely going to hit Jamaica,” Alvin said.
When Hurricane Melissa crossed Jamaica, it was packing wind speeds of at least 185 miles an hour. It is one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the Atlantic Ocean in the Caribbean.
The western portion of the island is dealing with major destruction. Officials say that’s where their agricultural industry of St. Elizabeth is, and it has been destroyed. However, the entire island is dealing with major problems.
“It is going to be a long haul, but we are prepared to face the challenges that are ahead of us to start to rebuild this beautiful country,” Jamaican Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie said. “As I have said before, we welcome the help of every well-thinking person across the world.”
Jamaican officials say they are already working with other nations.
The United States says it’s sending disaster response teams as well as search and rescue personnel to Jamaica and other islands devastated by Hurricane Melissa.