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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hurricane Melissa has unleashed widespread devastation across the Caribbean as one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the area.
Sheldon Johnson has family in Montego Bay, one of the areas on the western side of the island of Jamaica, that got the worst of the storm.
“I got all my family over there, my brothers, sisters, uncles, dad, aunt, grandma, everyone is still over there in Jamaica. I haven’t heard from any one of them. I can’t reach anyone” Johnson, owner and chef at Don’s Jamaican Kitchen, said.
Jamaica’s government has said it “is not in a position to make an official statement on deaths” from Hurricane Melissa.
“I was shocked. Like, nobody was expecting this, not even me. I was like, watching the video, and I’m like, dang, I can’t believe this is really happening to my country,” Johnson said.
The storm caused significant damage to public infrastructure, but the full extent of the damage has not come to light yet.
Gaynor Russell is the president of the Jamaican American Cultural Association, and she says she’s worried.
“Jamaica is on the forefront in terms of structural development and infrastructure, but we have a lot of poor areas in Jamaica. It’s a third-world country. So you’re going to have devastation to people who live in low lying areas, people who are not, don’t live in structurally sound housing,” Russell said.
Even though this hurricane hit Jamaica as one of the strongest ever on record, Johnson knows they will persevere.
“I know we will bounce back from this, but it’s going to take some time. We’re Jamaicans, so we’re going to stay strong,” Johnson said.
JACA is planning a trip to the island in the coming weeks to help with the humanitarian efforts. The organization says it is also collecting monetary donations on its website.
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Arin Cotel-Altman
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