As the sun rises each morning over Miami Gardens, Kimali Stephen wakes with a familiar ache — the hollow fear of not knowing whether her father is still alive in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa ripped through the island as a Category 5 storm last week.
“I just feel empty. Hollow. Like just a shell,” she told CBS News, her voice trembling. “Until I can put my eyes on my dad — at least hear his voice.”
Her father, 85-year-old Albert Stephen, a retired Jamaican military veteran, has been missing since before the hurricane made landfall. He had moved to Argyle Mountain, a quiet community in Jamaica’s Westmoreland parish, to live out his retirement years.
Their last conversation — now immortalized in a short video Kimali keeps replaying on her phone — took place hours before the storm tore through his hillside home. Then, silence.
“My dad and I are very close,” she said. “We talk every couple of days. But this? I can’t sleep.”
A Veteran and Father Figure
Albert, Kimali says, was not just her father — he was her anchor. Her mother passed away from cancer when she was just 13.
“He’s all I have left,” she said, her eyes brimming with tears.
Neighbors and relatives in Jamaica have struggled to reach the remote area of Argyle Mountain, where downed power lines, mudslides, and washed-out bridges have cut off communication.
“I’ve seen videos from the parish,” Kimali said. “Some people don’t have water or food. The houses are flat. I can’t imagine what he’s facing — or if he’s even safe.”
Social Media as a Lifeline
Desperate for news, Kimali turned to social media, posting photos of her father and pleading for information. What she found was both heartbreaking and inspiring — dozens of other Jamaicans in Florida searching for loved ones back home.
“We’re all on the same mission,” she said. “Trying to reach our families, trying to help rebuild. We’re there to give and make the community stronger.”
Her post has since been shared hundreds of times, connecting her with volunteers, aid workers, and other families navigating the same anguish.
Local Relief Effort in Miami
Now, Kimali is channeling her fear into action. She’s organizing a donation drive and plans to travel with other volunteers to Jamaica as soon as conditions allow.
This Thursday, she’ll be stationed at Lick the Grill, located on Northwest 7th Avenue and 48th Street in Miami, to collect food, medical supplies, clothing, and hygiene kits for those affected by Hurricane Melissa.
“We can’t just sit and wait,” she said. “Even if I can’t find my dad right away, I know he’d want me to help others.”
A Growing Humanitarian Crisis
Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of devastation across Jamaica and parts of the Caribbean, flattening homes, flooding communities, and leaving tens of thousands without power or clean water. Emergency crews have described conditions as “near apocalyptic” in parts of Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth.
For families like Kimali’s, the storm’s aftermath is not just a headline — it’s a daily heartbreak.
Her message to the public is simple: don’t look away.
“Every prayer, every dollar, every message matters,” she said. “We can rebuild, but we can’t do it alone.”
