The Brief
- Tampa Bay residents are beginning to gather supplies for the decimated island of Jamaica.
- Relatives on the island are sending family pictures and videos of the devastation that has impacted huge swaths of Jamaica.
- Power is out for most of the island, with sewage and cleanliness becoming a problem.
TAMPA – Police report at least 14 people have died in Jamaica, and they expect the death toll to keep rising. More than 13,000 people remained crowded into shelters, with 72% of the island without power Thursday and only 35% of mobile phone sites in operation.
What we know:
Wesley Chapel residents Kyla and Lazarus Somerville are trapped in a hotel room in Jamaica, where they had been attending a birthday party for a relative. “A lot of us took shelter in the bathroom just to be safe,” said Kyla Somerville, “especially for the glass doors that we have on our balconies.”
Their hotel is on a backup generator. “But they did let us know that they are running low on diesel,” she said, “and that they’re trying as hard as they can to get the roads cleared to get more of it here.”
What they’re saying:…