- Staff at Caribbean Delights in Omaha are staying in constant contact with family in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa hits the island.
- The restaurant’s owner is currently stuck in Jamaica, where widespread power outages and communication losses are being reported.
With 185 mph winds, Hurricane Melissa is now tied among the strongest Atlantic landfalling storms ever recorded.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 storm, has made landfall in Jamaica — and for one Benson restaurant, the impact hits close to home.
I'm Melissa Wright at Caribbean Delights in Benson. The owner is currently stuck in Jamaica, unable to return to Omaha as conditions intensify. His staff spent the day serving customers while staying in constant contact with loved ones back home.
Garfield Lowe, who works at the restaurant, says his relatives began preparing for the hurricane days in advance — boarding windows, securing rooftops, and gathering supplies.
“She just let me know that it’s starting to pick up where she’s at… that means the wind is getting heavy where she is right now,” Lowe said.Lowe says knowing his mother and grandmother are currently in Omaha brings him some peace — but the emotional weight of waiting remains.
“We communicate a lot over the phone, and it was just a waiting game until the day the storm hits — which is today,” he said.He says the calmness many Jamaicans show during severe storms comes from experience.
“We learned from a young age — you stay in and get your house battened down. You make sure your windows and roof are safe. If there are any animals, you bring them inside,” Lowe explained.Meanwhile, the restaurant’s owner had planned to FaceTime staff to show conditions on the ground — but lost power and Wi-Fi just minutes before their scheduled call.
The last time they spoke, he said he was safe and simply hoping to make it back to Omaha soon.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, tying it with two other storms as one of the strongest Atlantic landfalls ever recorded.
As the storm continues inland, loved ones here in Omaha are watching, waiting, and hoping for good news.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
