As Hurricane Melissa battered Jamaica this week, Waco restaurant owner Vivia Charles spent days anxiously checking in with family back home.
Charles, who owns a Jamaican restaurant in Waco, said several relatives were caught in the storm, including her 84-year-old aunt in Saint Catherine and a cousin in Mandeville.
“They lost power Thursday and got a little water in the house,” Charles said. “But thank God, everyone’s OK.”
Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and flooding that left thousands without power and damaged homes across parts of the island.
Charles said being so far away during the storm made her feel helpless.
“I just kept calling, even when their power or internet was down,” she said. “Just so they’d know we were thinking of them constantly.”
She added that support from the Waco community has been a source of comfort.
“A lot of Waco has open arms to new people and new things,” Charles said. “That’s the community of Jamaica too — people care, and that means a lot right now.”
Charles said she’s grateful her relatives are safe and is praying for a quick recovery for others affected by the storm.
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