WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Kansan in Jamaica was stuck on the island Monday, as all airports have closed due to Hurricane Melissa.
Jarrett Cullens, a chiropractor in Hutchinson and Wichita, is awaiting Melissa’s arrival. He and his wife are staying at the Grand Palladium in Montego Bay, where the staff have prepared for what was supposed to hit in the next few hours.
“It’s really surreal right now,” he said.
The Cullens said strong winds had been howling since 7 a.m. A video shows how the hotel is prepared.
“They have all the chandeliers roped together,” Cullens said. “They’ve already boarded up all the windows for the stores.”
Storm Track 3 Forecast: Tracking showers, gusty winds, & frosty mornings ahead
On Tuesday, as Melissa neared landfall, Cullens shared videos of the storm with KSN.
The videos show palm trees blowing in the fierce winds and one tree lying on the ground.
“I was sitting at the window watching TV, that tree just snapped,” Cullens says in one of the videos.
The resort is helping guests who are trapped and unable to get home.
“They kind of just shut down everything,” Cullens said. “They sent a letter out that said from midnight tonight to about midday tomorrow, that’s where they’re kind of estimating the storm hitting. They said, ‘Just stay in your room; don’t go nowhere.'”
A significant problem for Cullens is that their room is on the first floor.
“It rains right inside the hallway,” he said. “So there might be some water coming into our hotel room. We got some extra towels in case. They’re going to block the doorway.”
A fallen banana tree outside a resort in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa approaches. (Courtesy: Jarrett Cullens)
The Cullens are staying alert and optimistic because the resort they are staying at is all concrete. The hurricane is also more predictable than the severe weather in Kansas.
“As I talk to people from down here, some of my friends are like, ‘You know, I’d rather be through a hurricane than a tornado,'” he said. “And because a hurricane is just steady, but you know where it’s going.'”
Cullens knows communication with back home will become harder overnight. He and his wife are trying to keep their phones charged so they can send updates when they can.
He was supposed to fly out on Tuesday, but he was told he may not be able to leave until the end of the week, depending on the damage.
