Hurricane Melissa is approaching the Caribbean island nation of Jamaica. It is going to be the most powerful hurricane in the country’s history. However, some residents of the island say that they will not believe it unless they see it with their own eyes.
The Jamaican government has ordered citizens to evacuate to safer places in the wake of the hurricane. Top officials have appealed to citizens to help implement this order. However, despite the heavy rain and strong winds, many do not want to leave their homes.
“Jamaicans are not usually the kind of people who will suddenly get up and leave their homes one day. They are more comfortable staying at home. Even if the doors and windows of the house are blown off, they will stay there,” said Jamal Peters (34), a hotel manager in the southern coastal city of Port Royal, Jamaica.
“We are still preparing to deal with the impact of the hurricane. But this is not our first hurricane. So for the most part, Jamaicans are already prepared.
Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 5 storm on Monday, packing winds of 175 miles per hour, bringing heavy rain and deadly flooding.
Hurricane Melissa is expected to be more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which hit the Caribbean in 1988. Gilbert killed more than 40 people in Jamaica, and hundreds more in the Caribbean and Mexico.
The warning has sparked panic in some, but others say things are going as usual.
Roy Brown, a man who lives in a house in the middle of nowhere, said he would not leave his home because of the storm. “I won’t move even if it’s a Category 6 hurricane,” he said. “There’s no escaping death. When God wants me, He’ll take me.” I’m not running away.’
Roy Brown said many people are not going to government shelters because of the bad conditions. Jennifer Ramdial, a fisherwoman, said the same thing. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”
However, Shelly-Ann McCalla, the manager of the Morant Bay Primary School shelter, said people have been coming to shelter since Thursday. A hurricane warning was issued for Jamaica the day before. However, she admitted that fewer people are coming to shelter this time than during Hurricane Beryl last year.
Shelly-Ann McCalla said many people are not going to shelters because they believe there will be no storm.
Isaac Wilmot, 42, has taken shelter with his family in the capital, Kingston. “Our family is quite used to dealing with storms,” he told AFP.
