WPTV

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Hurricane Melissa has wreaked havoc on several Caribbean islands, as WPTV is putting a spotlight on the resilience and strength of community members with family ties to Jamaica.

The powerful Category 5 hurricane, Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday raising concerns and anxieties among those with loved ones in the region.

Experts are calling Hurricane Melissa one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall on record, with winds peaking at an astonishing 185 mph.

For context, that's 20 miles more than Category 5 Hurricane Andrew, which devastated Florida in 1992.

Lakeesha Hawthorne, a franchise owner of Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant in West Palm Beach and a native of Jamaica, shared her emotional journey as the storm approached.

"It wa

See Full Page