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Britons have spoken about their fears for their relatives Jamaica AfterStorm of the century” Caribbean island, going a mark of flood and destruction,
Melissa hits Jamaica on Tuesday The most powerful hurricane ever to directly hit its shores, with sustained winds of 185 mph. category 5 hurricane Destroyed hospitals, destroyed an airport and submerged entire towns, even posing the threat of displaced crocodiles.
The death toll rose on Thursday as four people were confirmed dead after people pulled them from the debris in the wake of the storm’s devastation. As the storm struck the northern Caribbean on Wednesday and Thursday, 25 more people were confirmed dead in Haiti.
More than 25,000 people are staying in shelters in the western part of Jamaica, while 77 percent of the island is without power. Thousands of tourists remained stranded. Including 8,000 Britons,
Prime Minister Andrew Holness described it as “ground zero”, saying up to 90 percent of roofs were destroyed in the south-west coastal community of Black River.
“People are still coming to grips with the devastation,” he said.
Mikel Akinsete, 30, said he is “extremely worried” about his relatives in Jamaica. His grandmother lives in St. Andrews Parish in Kingston – which was spared most of the damage – but she also has relatives in the hard-hit areas of St. Elizabeths and Black River.
“It has been an extreme struggle to reach them. It hurts so much to see those scenes on TV. We feel powerless. There are no words to describe it.”
Mr Akinsete managed to speak to his grandmother on Thursday morning, but has not spoken to most of his relatives since Monday morning.
A London fintech consultant said St Elizabeth is “unrecognisable” from aerial shots, which show the parish submerged in water.
“Even once we’ve managed to communicate with them, it’s about what we’re going to do next. Family members have a local business there,” he said, “Jamaica often gets hit by hurricanes but we’ve never seen anything like this.”
Bertram Banton and his wife, Karin Lily Banton, were on vacation in the northern coastal town of Ocho Rios when the storm struck.
“I’ve never heard a sound like that before,” a Birmingham-based bus driver told The Independent. “Once, I tried to open the door to peek. But I ran back inside – that was the sound that was coming. It sounded like a tractor engine.
“I have never heard such sounds from the air. Even our musicians in church can’t play those notes.”
The couple were due to fly to the UK on Saturday, but have been advised by TUI that their flights may be delayed by two days.
Dr. Beverley Lindsay OBE, President of the Association of Jamaican Nationals (Birmingham) UK, said communications with friends and family in Jamaica are “slowly opening up” as power is slowly coming back on.
“Obviously people are devastated, some have lost their homes and unfortunately they’re not insured. We’re trying to send them whatever support we can,” he told The Independent.
But speaking more optimistically about the strong spirit of communities there, he said: “Jamaicans are maintaining a high spirit.” Despite the disaster, “they are hopeful”.
The British government announced Thursday that it has made chartered flights available to help British citizens leave Jamaica in the wake of the storm.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said British citizens should use commercial flights as their first port of call to leave the country.
The FCDO said the government will issue a form for those affected to register for flights, and all British citizens who have already registered in Jamaica will be automatically contacted. It asked all Britons in Jamaica to register that they were there.
Britain is also supporting Jamaica with £2.5 million for emergency humanitarian aid, as Sir Keir Starmer described the scenes in the country as “truly shocking”.
This funding will support a rapid humanitarian response, including the delivery of emergency supplies such as shelter kits, water filters and blankets to help prevent injury and disease outbreaks.
These emergency relief supplies have already been deployed to Antigua to ensure they can be rapidly deployed to where they are needed most. UK humanitarian and technical experts are also being deployed to the region to help coordinate and deliver aid.