Howard University News Service

By Damenica Ellis and Bamidele Aina

Students pray during a vigil for those impacted by Hurricane Melissa (Photo courtesy of Malik Morris)

Shaneal Mitchell, a sophomore political science major at Howard University was unable to contact her family in Spanish Town, Jamaica, on Tuesday. All she could do was watch the news as reports warned that Hurricane Melissa could be worse than Gilbert — the 1988 storm that left hundreds homeless.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center, marking it as the strongest hurricane to ever hit the island.

The eye of the storm moved across Jamaica around 5 p.m. EST on Tuesday, leaving behind widespread flooding and destruction. B

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