KINGSTON, Jamaica – St. Kitts and Nevis law student Zubaidah Springer reported that she and her colleagues are safe as Category 5 Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica, though rural areas are being devastated by the storm.
Springer, a second-year law student, said Kingston is experiencing winds and light rain but not catastrophic damage. “The area still looks pretty normal. The trees are still rooted. So that’s a good sign,” she told ZIZ News.
The students, housed at a hotel by the government, are receiving three meals daily and have maintained electricity and water supplies. Springer expressed gratitude for the support, noting they had also prepared with water, snacks, and non-perishables beforehand.
“We are just grateful to the government for housing us here because we are being afforded three meals per day at the hotel. So basically we are covered,” Springer said.
However, she expressed deep concern for Jamaicans in rural areas bearing the storm’s full force. “My thoughts and prayers are with the people in the rural areas of Jamaica like St. Elizabeth and St. Thomas, those areas that are being devastated currently. And I pray that they can recover and that they can get back on their feet,” Springer stated.
The students’ safety comes after the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis coordinated evacuations and accommodation for nationals studying in Jamaica as the hurricane approached.