Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica as a brutal Category 5 storm, leaving behind catastrophic damage: collapsed homes, flooded parishes and power outages that cover nearly the entire island. The storm, one of the strongest ever to hit the island, has now moved northeast, but its impact continues to ripple through the Caribbean.
In Fort Myers and across Lee County, residents and nonprofits are stepping forward to help. Local advocates and organizations, including Fort Myers-based author and nonprofit founder Cornell Bunting, The Collaboratory and the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency, are partnering to collect donations and coordinate relief for families in Jamaica struggling to recover.
Bunting, who grew up in Kingston and leads the nonprofit Everyone Has A Story, lost his own home to the storm. He’s been in constant contact with relatives and friends on the island, some turning to him as a lifeline…