Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica last week as a Category 5 storm, flattening homes and cutting off power to hundreds of thousands of citizens. In Iowa City, the destruction left residents with ties to the island anxiously awaiting updates and searching for ways to help.
Hurricane Melissa was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, according to the Associated Press. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, wiped out power for about 540,000 people, and has been the cause of nearly 30 deaths and climbing. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, officials said.
Richard Rodney, a Jamaican immigrant who came to the U.S. in 2007 and is the owner of Rodney’s Jamaican Jerk and BBQ in Iowa City, said he’s been able to reach his brother and nephew over the phone, but hasn’t been in contact with his mother yet.
Rodney was in Jamaica when Hurricane Gilbert, another Category 5 storm, hit in 1988. He remembers the 135 mph winds during Gilbert, and when he heard Hurricane Melissa was hitting wind speeds of 185 mph, it “put a toll” on him.
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“I was talking to a few friends of mine down there and the top of their houses are gone,” Rodney said. “Trees and light posts dropped on their cars. Some of them have insurance, but they are going to need a lot of help. A lot.”
AccuWeather estimated the hurricane will cause around $50 billion in total economic losses and damage across Jamaica, Haiti, and the rest of the Caribbean Sea.
“Most of these people, their work is a little shop on the corner they sell food from,” Rodney said. “So they’re losing all of that, and there’s nothing to start it back up.”
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness acknowledged the widespread anxiety among Jamaicans in a news release issued Oct. 25.
“You should be concerned, but the best way to address anxiety and any nervousness and concern is to be prepared,” Holness said in the news release. “I would urge all my fellow citizens, everyone who is now feeling nervous, anxious, uncertain, that now is the time to be prepared.”
He urged citizens to find sandbags and other items to batten down their shelters, prioritize keeping their devices and documentation safe, and make sure they have flashlights and batteries on hand during and after the storm.
Peaches Roach Findlay, a University of Iowa alumnus and former All-American high-jumper for the Iowa women’s track and field team, said it has been a hard week for her and her family back home.
“Most are okay, but some had to deal with damage to their homes,” Findlay said. “I have heard from most of my family at this point, but many are still without electricity.”
Holness said in the news release the government was already mobilizing to respond before the hurricane hit, noting that while national agencies are prepared, rebuilding will require work and cooperation among citizens and local leaders.
“We are very grateful and very thankful for the philanthropic organizations that exist in certain communities that are already starting to mobilize and doing work,” Holness said. “The preparation can have some mitigating effect on the impact, but the real work starts the hour after the impact.”
Rodney said restoring the island after Hurricane Melissa’s destruction will be the hardest part of the storm. He has set up a GoFundMe page to help his family and friends back in Jamaica, and he encourages locals to donate. He’s currently raised $170 of his $4,500 goal.
“These are my people, and I feel a deep personal and cultural responsibility to support them in this time of need,” Rodney said on the website.