Hurricane Beryl’s most recent path of destruction was in Virginia, flooding streets and causing power outages. Before reaching the U.S., Beryl slammed the Caribbean, leaving thousands of people struggling in the aftermath.
Just days after returning home from vacation in Jamaica, Amber and Babbington Kelly of Denver found out Hurricane Beryl was headed for the island. The Kellys have dozens of family members in Jamaica, including their 10-year-old son Dilandray, who they left there for the summer.
The family did what they could to ready themselves, but they just had to wait.
“We prepared for there not to be any power, and tried to prepare ourselves emotionally for how we are going to do when we can’t reach anyone,” Amber Kelly said. “I think we did OK for the first few hours, but when it started turning to days is when it got very difficult.”
In the days following Beryl’s touchdown in Jamaica, communication was nearly impossible. Despite improvements, cell service is still sporadic. People in Jamaica sometimes go days without being able to charge their phones or find good service.
Lack of communication is not where the family’s problems ended. The island was torn apart by wind and rain, destroying the home Babbington’s sister, Samoya Allen, lived in. Her house at the bottom of a hill couldn’t withstand the flooding, leaving her and her two children with nothing. Allen’s livelihood as a vendor was also ripped out from under her when her family’s farm was destroyed. Although she’s staying strong for her children, Allen said she’s struggling.
“Every day comes for itself for me right now,” Allen said. “So, if someone should say, ‘Sam, how are you coping? Are you living? Are you surviving?’ I would say ‘Well I’m surviving.’ That’s what I’m doing right now, surviving.”
Allen said that the early stages of rebuilding are slowly happening, but with little help from the government.
“Whenever we lose something, we have to do it ourselves. We can’t depend on nothing, no one. We have to do it ourselves,” Allen said.
With little help available, Allen reached out to one of the only people she could, her brother. Devastated by their inability to go back to Jamaica and help their family, the Kellys started a GoFundMe to help Allen and her children rebuild.
“This is why are we are doing this, basically to try get them back on their feet,” Babbington Kelly said. “I hope we can do something for them in time. It will take time, but that’s all we have right now, really.”