“I want my sister out. I want everyone out. I want everyone safe.”

HOUSTON — A Houston elementary school teacher remains stranded in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa made a direct hit on the island nation, leaving her family desperate for her safe return.

Tomekah Scott, who teaches at Isaacs Elementary in Houston, was supposed to return to work yesterday but is now stuck in Hanover Parish, a small area about an hour west of Montego Bay. The hurricane has killed at least five people and left many parts of Jamaica unrecognizable to residents.

Scott’s sister, Sonnetta Overton, described the frightening moments when she was able to briefly connect with her during the storm. 

“She showed me the water that was coming into the hotel. They were trying to push the water out,” Overton told KHOU 11. “She was saying she was really scared.”

Overton made an emotional plea for help getting American citizens out of the disaster zone. 

“Someone has to be working to get the American citizens out of there. I want my sister out. I want everyone out. I want everyone safe,” she said.

Scott’s family says they are praying for her safety as they anxiously await news of when she can return home.

The storm left widespread devastation across Jamaica, with Montego Bay—the country’s third most populous city and a popular tourist destination—suffering collapsed buildings, torn-off roofs, streets littered with debris, and downed power lines. Drone video captured south of Montego Bay showed a muddy mess created by landslides.

President Trump has directed the State Department “to mobilize support for the affected communities” in Jamaica, the Bahamas, and three other Caribbean nations.

Jamaica’s tourism minister reported that all 25,000 international visitors who remained on the island when Melissa hit have been accounted for. He indicated that stranded tourists will be able to start leaving the island nation within days—news that can’t come soon enough for Scott and her worried family back in Houston.

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