‘Three times worse than Beryl’ - St Bess Samaritan says Melissa is the worst disaster

Oneal Robinson, the good Samaritan who rescued and sheltered members of The Gleaner and STAR teams from Hurricane Beryl's wrath in July 2024, says Hurricane Melissa is the worst natural disaster he has ever experienced.

"Beryl was terrible, but this is about three times worse than Beryl. I have never experienced anything like this. Melissa is giving St Elizabeth a flogging. Some persons have lost their roofs here in Mountainside, and I know Treasure Beach is also getting a beating. The breeze has been on and off since Sunday, but since [Monday], the rain and breeze have been non-stop. We have not got a ease. Everywhere in my house full a water, and I live in a two-storey house. Water is even coming from the roof," he said.

During the passage of Beryl, the majority of the parish was without electricity for weeks, and Tuesday morning, Robinson said they suffered the same fate. He stated, however, that he has been able to keep in contact with some of his loved ones.

"We lost power last night (Monday), and it came back, and then we lost power again. We really don't know when it will be coming back. My sister lives in Gutters, and her roof is gone. I will not be making any attempts to go outside with everything that is going on, so I went for my niece and stepfather from Sunday, and they are here with me," Robinson said.

While Beryl, a Category 4 hurricane, devastated sections of southern Jamaica last July -- causing billions in damage, widespread power outages, and crippling the agriculture sector -- Melissa struck the island as a catastrophic Category 5 system, the strongest ever to make direct landfall on Jamaica.

Accompanied with wind speeds of 185mph, Melissa made landfall in St Elizabeth minutes after midday yesterday.

Last year, Robinson was on his way to rescue his loved ones who had lost their home during the passage of Beryl when he came across the news team members who were stranded in the hurricane. The kind-hearted man not only opened his doors and offered shelter for the night but also provided much-needed meals.