People in Waterloo Region worry about loved ones in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa makes landfall

Hurricane Melissa is now one of the most powerful storms to ever make landfall in the Atlantic. CTV’s Karis Mapp checks in with a Cambridge restauranteur who ha

One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon, sparking concerns for people living in Waterloo Region with loved ones on the island.

Hurricane Melissa came ashore as a devastating Category 5 storm. Reports from the area said the intense winds tore roofs off buildings and caused widespread damage.

People in Waterloo Region are watching the storm with trepidation.

Orville Edwards spent the first 36 years of his life in Jamaica. The restauranteur opened Silver Spoon on the island before moving to Canada and opening another location in Cambridge.

His sisters, nieces, nephews and some friends are still in Jamaica. Edwards said he spoke to them on Tuesday, and they are doing their best to keep their spirits up.

“They’re feeling a bit scared, but they still put happiness on their faces,” Edwards said. “Even though they’re scared, they try to help out each other because it’s like a family there.”

The Canadian Red Cross is already on the ground, helping wherever they can.

“The Jamaican Red Cross is the first organization. They have hundreds of volunteers already mobilized, trained and ready to go,” Chiran Livera, operations manager with the Canadian Red Cross, explained. “When they indicate that they need some extra assistance, we have Canadians on standby who can deploy within hours.”

Closer to home, organizations in Waterloo Region are also ready to help.

The Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region (CCAWR) is trying to help by organizing a fundraiser.

“There’s a lot of Caribbean people here, and we want them to be safe and know that we are here for them,” Tamara Cooper, CCAWR’s program coordinator said.

“We are just waiting to see after the hurricane to do a needs assessment to see how we can help them,” Cooper said.

It’s a deeply personal issue for Cooper as her son and father are still in Jamaica.

“This morning, I spoke with my dad. Currently, Hurricane Melissa has taken landfall, so all electricity is out,” she said. “It’s a blackout at the moment.”

Cooper said she vividly recalls being in Jamaica during Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

“No water for a week. The truck would come with water. You’d have to wait to have electricity,” Cooper said. “It was devastating, but we got through it.”

Now, Edwards and Cooper are focused on how people in Waterloo Region can help those living through the potentially catastrophic storm.

“Even though I’m not there, I still call and organize things to get things in place,” Edwards said.