‘Worst yet to come’: Jarrell family stuck in Jamaica after wedding, as Hurricane Melissa hits

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Days after John Wesley and Wendy Smith had their dream destination wedding at a resort in Jamaica, they must now endure the impact of Hurricane Melissa.

The Jarrell couple arrived in Jamaica last week with about 50 family and friends from across Texas. They are near Negril, on the island’s western tip.

“When we came in the first day, we found out there was a tropical storm heading our way,” Smith said. “There were no signs here, the island was still beautiful.”

On Sunday, the family tried to move their flights to escape Melissa. However, those flights were cancelled due to the worsening weather.

On Monday, the storm strengthened into a Category 5 storm. It’s now expected to be one of the most catastrophic Atlantic hurricanes ever.

Smith and her family are in a second-floor suite. She said that the resort’s staff has worked tirelessly to protect guests, who had nowhere else to go.

“We just watched them go through with lumber and … all types of equipment,”
Smith said. “They worked through the entire night preparing and just trying to protect us and make sure that we’re good.”

As the storm approached Jamaica on Tuesday, Smith showed KXAN the roof panels and other debris that had been torn off the building. Water around the hotel began to rise and palm trees whipped around viciously.

“We have a retaining wall that’s about 10-15 feet where we are, and it’s protecting us at this point,” Smith said.

Melissa made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, around noon Tuesday.