Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica last week as a Category 5 storm, flattening homes and cutting off power to hundreds of thousands of citizens. In Iowa City, the destruction left residents with ties to the island anxiously awaiting updates and searching for ways to help.
Hurricane Melissa was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, according to the Associated Press. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, wiped out power for about 540,000 people, and has been the cause of nearly 30 deaths and climbing. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, officials said.
Richard Rodney, a Jamaican immigrant who came to the U.S. in 2007 and is the owner of Rodney’s Jamaican Jerk and BBQ in Iowa City, said he’s been able to reach his brother and nephew over the phone, but hasn’t been in contact with his mother yet…