When Kate Thame disembarks the plane in beautiful Jamaica, where her husband’s family lives, the people working on the tarmac ask if she’s been to the country before.
“I get to say, ‘Yes,’ and they say, ‘Welcome home,’” Thame said.
Her treasured memories in Jamaica made it that much harder to see the devastation caused by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, which ravaged the country and nearby Caribbean islands this week as one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record. Wind speeds peaked at 185 miles per hour as the storm crossed Jamaica.
The storm weakened Wednesday afternoon to a Category 2 hurricane as it hurtled toward the Bahamas.
Jamaica, specifically Montego Bay, was in the hurricane’s direct path, leaving behind a path of flooding, desperate people, decimated buildings and death. Dozens of people across Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba have died, the Associated Press reported. The death toll could rise as recovery efforts continue.
“Their strength and their faith is really, really admirable in the face of destruction and complete devastation,” Thame said. “I saw multiple videos where people just continue to say, ‘All these things are gone, my home is ruined, but I’m OK.’ I think that says something about the resiliency and how strong they are.”
Thame’s in-laws live in Kingston, which didn’t get the brunt of the storm, but the storm’s ruin still tugged at her heartstrings. She thought of Jamaicans who were struggling even before the storm hit and wondered how they would fare after it rolled through.
“For many of us, myself included, it’s a destination, a vacation spot,” she said. “We get to go there to experience all of the wonderful people and the culture and the customs. But they go back to reality. There’s a lot of poverty in Jamaica and a lot of that sometimes gets forgotten.”
Thame spent much of the day watching not only videos of the storm’s destruction, but also people helping in relief efforts. She saw a man talking about accepting donations of the most needed items for people who have lost their homes and possessions, and thought to herself, “There’s gotta be something that people can do to help.”
Thame, who lives in suburban Mokena with her husband and two sons, contacted the Jamaican consulate in Chicago and a company that transports goods in hopes of organizing her own donation drive for people affected.
An automated message on the Jamaican consulate phone number informs callers of the hurricane and the consulate’s efforts to help. The consulate is in touch with the Jamaica Consulate General in New York and the Jamaican embassy in Washington, DC, and is working with local groups to organize resources to help those affected by the storm, according to the message recorded Monday.
Shortly before Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica Tuesday, Mark Thomas sent a text to his family there to see how they were doing. Several more messages he sent a couple hours later, soon after the hurricane hit, still haven’t been delivered.
About 77% of Jamaica’s residents were without power Wednesday, a day after the storm swept through the Caribbean island.
“Hopefully, the service slowly comes back up so I can continue a method of communication,” said Thomas, 27, who lives in Rogers Park but grew up in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and still has family and friends there.
Thomas said he hasn’t heard from his family since landfall. An online video shows his childhood home, where his step-father lives, sustained minor flooding and roof damage, he said.
He commended Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness for issuing multiple warnings , which better prepared residents to deal with the storm and the disaster relief afterward.
“If you think of Florida, Jamaica is kind of in the same way where hurricanes happen all the time and people might take it very casually,” Thomas said.
Thomas is optimistic that the hurricane didn’t cause catastrophic damage to his hometown or badly injure any of his family or friends.
He said the next steps are to regain communication with family and friends, then to bring awareness to the Chicago community about donating to relief efforts. He suggested donations be made to the American Friends of Jamaica, or to find other organizations at supportjamaica.gov.jm.
“I hope to see a lot of Jamaican American pride, West Indie pride and Jamaican pride overall in Chicago,” Thomas said. “I hope to still see my local city support and hope for the best for the people back home.”