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DENVER (KDVR) — Hurricane Melissa left widespread damage across Jamaica this week, slamming into the island as a Category 5 storm. Much of western Jamaica is underwater as crews and residents begin to pick up the pieces from the destruction left behind. One Colorado woman is stepping up to help. Lelesa Thompson, who now lives in Aurora, grew up in Jamaica. She said her friends and family are still there, and she’s asking her new neighbors in Colorado to help. “These are my family, the people who raised me,” Thompson said. “They say it takes a village. This is my village.” Thompson said she has been sitting by the phone for the past 24 hours. After Hurricane Melissa tore through her home country, phone lines and cell service have been inaccessible. She’s seen photos and videos of the devastating damage on social media, but she hasn’t heard from her brothers or parents since around noon Tuesday. “I keep hearing reports of deaths, and I’ve not heard from anyone in my community,” she said. “It’s not tough; it’s awful, really.” Desperate to help, Thompson launched an online fundraiser and said she plans to fly back to Jamaica as soon as travel resumes to help rebuild the neighborhood where she grew up. “Those are the parishes where you’ll find people living in what we call board houses,” Thompson said. “They’re not concrete structures. They’re not built to withstand any type of rain or wind, so I know it’s all gone.” Thompson’s home parish of Westmoreland depends heavily on tourism. With major hotels devastated by the storm, she said many in her community will be out of work. “They have lost their homes. They’ve lost their jobs,” Thompson said. “You need a job to rebuild your home, but with no paycheck and no income, it’s really a lose-lose situation.” Thompson’s GoFundMe launched just after the storm hit.
