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People from across North Texas who have family and friends in some of the areas hit by Hurricane Melissa are waiting to hear from their loved ones. FOX 4 spoke with one business owner in Fort Worth who's anxiously hoping to hear from her uncle in Jamaica. Fort Worth family with Jamaican ties Jamrocc Authentic Jamaican Street Food and Groceries is still operating as normal, but owner Pauline Thompson is balancing her business with concern for her family. Thompson, a Jamaican-born former educator turned entrepreneur, is worried about her mother, who is near Montego Bay. Hurricane Melissa left a trail of widespread damage in her home country, leaving some areas inaccessible. Power was knocked out to most of the island. Waiting for contact with family What they're saying: "When I spoke to my mom, she video called me just before the hurricane, but the power was already out. I think they turned off the power ahead of time," Thompson said. "She was very nervous because she lived in New York for years, and she went back home three years ago and this is her second storm," Thompson continued. Early Wednesday, she heard from her mother and sisters, but has yet to communicate with an uncle. "WhatsApp was working luckily. She still had charge on her phone, so when the eye, I think just after the eye wall passed, she called and said, ‘We’re OK,’" Thompson said. "I think we know he's safe, but to actually hear from him, we haven’t yet," Thompson said. What's next: As Thompson tries to concentrate on business, she is already planning to travel to the island to help with recovery. "As soon as the airports open, I’m going. Yes, I will be there," she said. Meantime, she is grateful, knowing the situation could be much worse. "My thoughts are there, and they have to be here too," Thompson said. "I don’t know if I have words to express how grateful I felt, because it’s my mom. It's my family. I know that they’re safe."
