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Storms won’t slow diaspora support for Jamaica

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KALLEJHAY TERRELONGE - STAR Writer
October 08, 2024
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Mair
Mair
Salvage workers remove debris from Hurricane Helene flooding along the Gulf of Mexico on Monday in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Crews are working to remove the debris before Hurricane Milton approaches Florida’s west coast.
Salvage workers remove debris from Hurricane Helene flooding along the Gulf of Mexico on Monday in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Crews are working to remove the debris before Hurricane Milton approaches Florida’s west coast.
Contractors with the City of New Port Richey help clean debris left by Hurricane Helene in preparation for Hurricane Milton.
Contractors with the City of New Port Richey help clean debris left by Hurricane Helene in preparation for Hurricane Milton.
Cars wait in line to get into the parking lot for gas at Costco, in Altamonte Springs, Florida, as residents prepare for the impact of approaching Hurricane Milton.
Cars wait in line to get into the parking lot for gas at Costco, in Altamonte Springs, Florida, as residents prepare for the impact of approaching Hurricane Milton.
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As Florida braces for its second hurricane in less than two weeks, the word from members of the Jamaican diaspora to loved ones back home is "have no fear".

Whether they were severely affected or not, they are adamant that locals can expect their continuous support especially as the Christmas season approaches.

"I don't see these hurricane having a significant impact on Jamaicans supporting their families back home because Jamaica is always home for majority of Jamaicans who live in the diaspora. So we always think about home first. We could be living here for 100 years, Jamaica will always be home for us," said Charlton Chance, who has been living in Florida for more than two decades.

Jamaica's Consul General to Miami, Oliver Mair, told THE STAR that despite the challenges that may come, he does not expect a significant decrease in support from the diaspora.

"As Jamaicans, we have always found a way to rally behind our loved ones. As we saw during COVID, Jamaicans in the diaspora rallied and supported loved ones back home, and during my time here, the Jamaicans I interact with tend to look out for their families as best as they can," Mair said.

More than 200 lives have been lost, and over 600 people remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of Category 4 Hurricane Helene which crashed into Florida and other states two weeks ago. However, Mair told THE STAR that, so far, he has had no reports of any Jamaicans in the rising death toll.

"We have been in dialogue with Jamaicans in various cities...and the persons we spoke to all fared well. It was a lot of rain, many of them lost power and there were a lot of tornado alerts. So some Jamaicans had to pull off and wait to move about," Mair said. He added that the diaspora members are now preparing for Hurricane Milton, which is expected to hit Florida tomorrow.

"We are already in dialogue with people in the community, encouraging them to take the necessary precautions, follow all the official advisory and just be fully prepared, and we will follow up with them after to see how they fared," Mair said.

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