MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Tourists who were stuck on Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa passed the island described their experience as they returned to South Florida.
“Oh, my God, the wind, the howling,” said one traveler.
“There was a lot of wind, heavy winds, people were scared,” said a second traveler.
Several travelers shared their stories with 7News of their experience, witnessing Hurricane Melissa in person.
“It was terrifying,” said Jimetra Alexander. “I have never been in a hurricane before. We were all huddled in the bathroom.”
Alexander said she and her girlfriends rode out the storm inside the restroom of their resort in Montego Bay.
“You could feel the winds when she was coming through, like I had my back against the bathroom door,” she said. “You could feel the power.”
Jason Bynoe said he was caught directly in the storm’s path.
“It was like something we’ve never experienced before, the eye literally went right over us,” said Bynoe.
Bynoe and his wife managed to get to a lower floor of their resort in Falmouth, near Montego Bay, as Hurricane Melissa ripped through the building.
“Our room door, the sliding glass door, that just shattered and blew out and, you know, we ran towards the bathroom,” said Bynoe.
Charles Davis celebrated his second wedding anniversary with his wife, Kimberly, hunkering down inside a hotel.
“We had to lock ourselves in the restroom while the hotel was crumbling,” Charles said. “I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”
He said the windows of their hotel room were completely blown out.
“The hotel was destroyed,” Charles said.
The Museaus’, from Aventura, were among the many who were sent to shelters. They were also in Montego Bay, sharing cellphone video from inside the convention center showing the doors of the building shaking from the intensity of the winds outside.
“Particles from the roof was caving off and water started leaking in, the winds were super strong,” said Jimmytre Museau.
They shared their story with 7News, thankful to be out of the shelter and back safely in South Florida.
“Leaving out of there was just a relief. People haven’t taken showers,” said Museau.
As those tourists who were in Jamaica now return home, many said they can’t help but think about the Jamaican people who lived in the path of Hurricane Melissa.
“St. Elizabeth is horrible, horrible, horrible,” said Wendy Yekeow, who said she saw much of the devastation. “There’s a lot of people down there without any homes. We passed a lot of houses that’s been flooded out, the rooves are gone and everything. Any kind of donation can help.”
“While we got it bad, on the other side it’s total devastation,” said Bynoe.
To help support people impacted by Hurricane Melissa, you can donate here.
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