As Melissa slams into Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, many are turning to social media for live updates. With winds exceeding 185 miles per hour, the damage this storm is causing will be catastrophic. Locals have braced themselves for impact, and many have evacuated. However, some tourists are still in harm’s way, unable to leave the island and with nowhere to shelter other than their hotels, such as one Houston tourist who documented her stay and what is transpiring.
One TikTok user by the handle @thegoatd_143, has been posting live updates. In a video posted by @cp24breakingnews, the Houston local provides updates on the devastating storm. After showing Hurricane Melissa’s landfall from the Montego Bay resort, the video cuts to a clip from another tourist stranded in Jamaica. In this TikTok, you can see a makeshift bed, along with a case of water and emergency supplies. “I just hope this is a bad memory someday,” the tourist can be heard saying as the camera pans past the windows, which are covered by furniture.
As the video goes on, you can see a makeshift shelter in one of the hotel’s event rooms. At this point, many, if not all, of the rooms have been evacuated. Dozens of beds are laid out on the ground as people converse. As Melissa makes landfall, Jamaica’s hotels and resorts are doing their best to keep their customers safe. Without knowing when it’ll be safe to leave, how long the power will last, or when help will arrive, the task is daunting.
Viewers watching the video are horrified to know how many people are still sheltering on the island. “Girl, I’m gonna need you to get the hell away from that ocean. As a native Floridian and someone who’s been through all of the damn hurricanes… Praying for you,” one TikTok user says. Another showed support for the tourists, saying, “I’m so proud of you guys. Stay strong… It’s almost over.”
As of mid-afternoon on October 28th, Hurricane Melissa made landfall over Jamaica. There’s currently no exact timeline on when it will pass over the island. Meteorologists are saying it’s unlike anything they’ve seen before, and is “extremely dangerous and life-threatening.” Many experts agree that Melissa is just as bad, if not worse, than the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, which took the lives of more than 400 people.
