Michael Gray was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, and is scared for his family and friends back home as Hurricane Melissa made landfall Tuesday morning. Along with his wife, Tara, the two own and operate M&T Jamaican Cookout Inc. in Prince Albert, where in this photo, the couple stands at their booth during the 2023 Tapestrama Cultural Festival at Carlton High School. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW) 

By Logan Lehmann

Fearing for Home

P.A. resident fears for family in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa makes landfall

Oct 28, 2025 | 2:34 PM

A Prince Albert man says he can’t imagine the scenes in his home country of Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa slams into the small Caribbean nation on Tuesday as one of the strongest storms ever recorded.

The hurricane will bring catastrophic flash flooding, landslides, and destructive winds across the island and is expected to cause widespread damage to infrastructure, power, and communication. Jamaica’s southern coast will be hit the hardest, with storm surge reaching up to 13 feet and waves peaking at 15 feet.

Michael Gray, co-owner of M&T Jamaican Cookout Inc. in Prince Albert, said he’s been in contact with family back home, adding that one of his sisters went back to the island this past week to be with their mom during the storm.

“I’ve been in contact with my sisters on a daily basis and right now, they’re doing OK. They’re in the Parish of St. Catherine, so they’ll be getting tropical storm forces, winds and rains, but they won’t be getting the brunt of the hurricane. Last night, I was talking to my sister, and you could just hear the wind howling outside, and it was just crazy. It’s just crazy there right now.”

This satellite image provided by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Melissa approaching Jamaica on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (NOAA via AP)

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Having grown up in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, Gray said he moved to P.A. in 2013 and has experienced his fair share of hurricanes and tropical storms, like Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 and Hurricane Ivan in 2004, where Gilbert hit Jamaica as a Category 3 and Ivan as a Category 4.

However, no storm has ever made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, until today.

“I can’t even imagine what’s going on there right now. My heart is really, is really emotional right now because I wish I could be there to help out with family and friends… but wow, it’s rough. I’m at work, but my mind, my emotions, it’s there, trying to figure out what’s going on, what’s the next move. My sister told me she has no water right now, [and] the power should be going pretty quickly here. Communication will be cut off too, so you’re like, you’re anticipating what’s happening, what’s going on, you know?”

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm shortly after 11 a.m. Saskatchewan time with an estimated maximum sustained wind speed of 295 km/h (185 mph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. That wind ranks Melissa among the most powerful cyclones ever observed, behind Hurricane Patricia in 2015 (345 km/h) and Typhoon Tip in 1979 (305 km/h).

Since the island started keeping record of storms in 1851, the strongest storm to hit Jamaica was Hurricane Gilbert, which produced a 19-foot storm surge and up to 32.4 inches of rain. An observation site near Kingston recorded a sustained wind speed of 195 km/h and wind gusts up to 237 km/h. The storm killed 45 people on the island alone and caused at least US$800 million (US$2.19 billion 2025) in damage, according to the National Library of Jamaica.

An aerial view of some of the destruction caused by Hurricane Gilbert in Jamaica in September 1988. (Wikipedia)

Despite the looming devastation and destruction, Gray said he’s confident in the Jamaican government in their preparation and response.

“Listening to all the reports from the Government of Jamaica, I believe they’re doing a pretty good job right now handling the situation, and they’re trying their best to get help with the communication process to keep [it] going as long as they can, which is very good.”

He added he and his wife, Tara, are talking about hosting a community cookout in the near future, where all proceeds will go back to Jamaica to help with recovery efforts.

“We’re hoping to maybe do something with our small business to get some relief to people who need it back home in Jamaica. We’re hoping to have a cookout one of these days, and all the proceeds would go back to help them, or [we] go down there and help them, or whichever way we can.”

So far in 2025, there have been five hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, four of which were Category 4 intensity or higher. (Erin, Gabrielle, Humberto, Melissa)

For updates on Hurricane Melissa and its path, click here.

A forecast from the National Hurricane Center shows Hurricane Melissa’s path through the Caribbean. (National Hurricane Center)

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com