As Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica with winds topping 180 mph, thousands of stranded tourists found themselves huddled in hotels and resorts across the island.
These victims of a fierce natural disaster were cut off from flights, electricity, and reliable communication. Among them is Imani, an American traveler who took to Instagram to share what it’s really like to ride out a Category 5 storm far from home.
“So me, my family, and our friends are stuck in Jamaica because of the hurricane,” she said in a video posted to Instagram under the handle @bimanixo_. “We were supposed to leave today, but our flights got canceled until Thursday. If you haven’t got your flight for Thursday, there’s no more until Saturday.”
Imani’s tone was calm but weary. Like many other tourists, she said the storm had thrown travel plans into chaos. Flights were canceled days in advance, and once the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay shut down Sunday, no one was getting out.
“We were trying to leave Saturday, but all the flights were booked,” she explained. “By Sunday, the airport got shut down. So yes, we were trying to leave, but we could not.”
Now stranded at a resort running on generators, Imani says her group is doing their best to stay safe and connected—charging devices, keeping flashlights close, and monitoring updates. Yet one detail in her video struck a nerve with many viewers: resorts were still charging guests during the disaster.
“Speaking of the resort,” she added, “they are still charging people to stay here.”
Her post ended on a note of faith:
“We are going to survive. I’ll keep y’all updated on everything. God got us.”
Jamaica Battles Back After Devastation
Hurricane Melissa made landfall Monday morning as one of the strongest storms in Caribbean history, slamming Jamaica with catastrophic rain and winds. The country’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness described the damage as “significant,” with widespread flooding, road blockages, and power outages reported across multiple parishes.
Dr. Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, confirmed that roughly 25,000 tourists remain on the island. He said the government is coordinating with hotels to ensure their safety.
“There is no need to worry,” Dr. Morris Dixon said in a press briefing. “The Ministry of Tourism has its center in constant communication with all hotels, providing support and keeping visitors as safe as we possibly can.”
Still, reports like Imani’s offer a raw look at the uncertainty thousands are facing, families sleeping in hallways, staff working overtime, and travelers wondering when it’ll be safe—or even possible—to go home.
The Long Wait Home
With airports closed, flights backed up, and power still unstable in several regions, stranded travelers are bracing for a long wait. Airlines have begun organizing limited evacuation flights for later in the week, but many are sold out or priced far beyond what most tourists can afford.
In the meantime, Imani and others like her are relying on social media to stay connected, and to remind the world that they’re still there, still waiting, and still hopeful.
“God got us,” she repeated in her post, a message of faith in the face of fear.
