LUCEA, Jamaica – What started as a long-awaited vacation quickly turned into a terrifying experience for one Houston woman now stranded in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, barrels toward the island.

Houston woman Debra Shields spoke with KPRC 2 over Zoom from her resort in Lucea, Jamaica, where she’s been riding out worsening conditions.

“Once we had already arrived, I heard, ‘oh, it’s a tropical storm coming’” said Shields. “It wasn’t until the flights got canceled Saturday at 5 o’clock that I was like, ‘oh my gosh, things must be getting real.’”

United Cajun Navy on the ground in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa impacts island nation

Shields has documenting her experience on TikTok, showing the calm before the storm and the resort’s preparations.

“As you can see, it’s

See Full Page