(WFRV) – A couple from the Darboy area is bracing for Hurricane Melissa while vacationing in Ocho Rios, Jamaica for their anniversary.
John and Heather Hoffman were planning to fly home on October 26, Sunday, but the airport shut down less than three hours before their flight due to the approaching Category 5 storm.
The Hoffmans told Local 5 that they’re staying at a resort with about 45 other couples and resort staff. The hotel upgraded them to the third floor, where they say they feel safer from the hurricane’s impact.
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“Our biggest fear is not so much that this beautiful resort is going to get destroyed because we’re in concrete,” John said. “It’s just that all the roads are going to get washed out and we’re going to be stuck here.”
The couple is stocked up with food and water and will go into lockdown at 6 p.m. local time, remaining indoors until the storm passes. They expressed gratitude for the support and concern from family and friends back home.
“The hotel has been nothing but fantastic. They’ve made sure we have food, water, anything we need,” Heather said, but still with a sense of worry. “We have been their priority, and we’re worried about them. We get to go home. They’re left in destruction.”
According to the National Hurricane Center and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), winds are topping 175 miles per hour, with heavy rain of up to 30 inches expected in some areas. The storm is moving slowly, only about 5 miles per hour, raising concerns about dangerous flooding and a storm surge up to 13 feet along the coast.
“I’m scared. I mean… [it’s] the unknown. The weather channel here is not like at home. We are seeing weather from all around the world. Not like up to the minute details like you do at home.”
The Hoffmans confirmed they have travel insurance, which provides some peace of mind as they ride out the storm. They remain hopeful they can fly home to Northeast Wisconsin on October 30, Thursday, but only time will tell.
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Hurricane Melissa is slowly moving toward the Caribbean island and is expected to make landfall overnight as a powerful Category 5 storm.
Local 5 will follow up with the Hoffmans once they safely return home.
