Worried Jamaicans in US unable to contact family after Hurricane Melissa wipes out power
EXCLUSIVE: Sasshaa Carey, who is from Jamaica and lives in the Bronx, told The Mirror US she's struggling to have her calls go through to her family in Montego Bay.
As Jamaica begins to recover from the unprecedented damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, family members within the global diaspora are desperately trying to reach their loved ones. Power outages across the island have rendered communication virtually impossible.
Sasshaa Carey, who lives in the Bronx, said she attempted to call her family this morning but the connection was faulty and she could not hear them speaking.
“The signal is so bad, I can't keep the connection. It's like every two minutes I hear a word,” she told The Mirror US. " So right now I'm not really hearing from anyone."
Carey was born and raised in Jamaica and immigrated to the U.S. nearly 10 years ago. She told The Mirror U.S. that the majority of her family and friends, are back home in Jamaica. Her aunt, uncle, nieces, and nephews, are living in the countryside of Montego Bay. Carey said those family members farm and rear animals for their livelihood.
She said her uncle went with his granddaughter and two sons to a government shelter, while her aunt, niece, and nephew sheltered in place at their home in Montego Bay yesterday.
Montego Bay, located on the northwestern side of the island, is the capital of the St. James parish. As of now, many parts of Jamaica's western side are underwater, with homes destroyed by strong winds after the Category 5 hurricane tore across the island with catastrophic force.
This morning, sections of the city showed signs of “massive destruction” with roofs and debris blocking roadways.
Reports indicate sections of Catherine Hall and West Green communities have faced serious flooding issues with massive build-up in silt in places.
A devastating natural disaster
Once Carey heard that Hurricane Melissa would hit Jamaica, she felt “devastated” knowing that her family couldn’t properly prepare for such a sudden natural disaster.
“It's not like they're really prepared for something like this because it was so sudden,” Carey said.
Carey added that even before the hurricane hit, she was thinking of the potential impact to her family’s property.
“Because I know it would've taken away a lot of stuff from them, like household-wise, it's just crazy. And most of them do farming too. So, you know, all of that is basically destroyed. They would have to try to rebuild,” she said.
More than 530,000 Jamaicans are without power
Three-quarters of the country had no electricity overnight. Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie announced at a press conference on Tuesday. According to the latest data available, more than 530,000 customers, which is approximately 77% of Jamaica Public Service’s customer base, were without power.
Carey spoke to her family after 3 p.m. EST yesterday, who said they had no electricity.
“They told me the light was gone. And there was no internet connection. So I said, okay, try getting charged and stuff like that. So keep in contact. So I was trying to reach out this morning, but I haven't heard anything,” she said.
“I’m worried,” she said. ”Because they have small children, so I know it's, crazy right now… putting things together, getting food. It's just a lot,” she said.
Although it's expected that Caribbean islands will face hurricanes and tropical storms, Hurricane Melissa was considered a devastating outlier due to the storm's sheer strength and size. Meteorologists confirmed that Melissa was Earth’s strongest storm of 2025 and the strongest storm to hit Jamaica in modern history. The full extent of the devastation, along with the death toll, is also unclear, with some areas inaccessible.
Carey felt “devastated” when she heard that Hurricane Melissa would make landfall on Jamaica on Tuesday.
“They have been through hurricanes, but it's not like this. Normally, hurricanes that hit...it’s mostly rain, and they recover easily. But this one…I think the recovery process is gonna be very hard,” she said.
”I thought Jamaica wasn't really prepared for this,” she said.
“So I was a bit scared because I know down in the countryside, it's a lot of trees, gullies, stuff like that, so it's at risk of flooding out and all of that.”
So far, Carey said that she felt confident in the Prime Minister, Andrew Holness’s ability to mobilize government services to assist her family and those across the country affected by Melissa.
“I think he's actually doing a great job,” she said, in reference to Holness’ recent return to office. Holness was re-elected to a rare third term in September.
“So maybe what he’s gonna do right now, maybe reach out to the people that needs help.. And it's mostly in the rural area, so we just have to watch and see what's going on,” she said.
Holness announced yesterday that the government-run Hurricane Melissa Relief website, supportjamaica.gov.jm, is operational.
After the storm
Carey said she wants to send a barrel of food, clothing, and other supplies to her family members, and help others who have been affected by the storm.
She said its emotional knowing that her country, known for its beauty, has been left unrecognizable by Hurricane Melissa.
“We all know it's a tourist island. People come there just to have fun, enjoy their life, vacation. So it's just crazy right now,” she said
On social media, she’s seen clips posted by fellow Jamaicans of the damage inflicted across the island. “People crying for help…so it’s just hard,” she said.
“It's just an emotional moment for a lot of persons, especially the ones that can't visit like myself, to ensure that things are okay.”
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