By Victoria Mejicanos
AFRO Staff Writer
vmejicanos@afro.com
Rudy “Kevin” Hooks, and his wife Jonelle had just gone to bed at Secrets Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, Jamaica, when a knock at their door on Oct. 27 signaled the need to evacuate. The couple had traveled to officiate a wedding but were now experiencing the effects of Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm that wreaked havoc across several Caribbean islands.
The couple joined 600 guests in an event center that evening. Despite sleeping on the floor, Hooks said they had all the food, shelter and water they needed. But by the afternoon of Oct. 28, guests had no power, and their only clear resource was running water.
“At that point, I think it really hit everyone that this whole ordeal had gotten real,” said Rudy Hooks.
The Maryland man noted that the staff was selfless in offering support to guests, often not knowing the condition of their own families.
On Oct. 29, guests were set up outside, many eager to go home. “That’s when the frustration and the anger, the rollercoaster of emotions really started to display itself for all those that were there,” Hooks said.
Through uncertainty, it was his community that kept him grounded, Hooks shared. Along with support from his church family at Set the Captives Free Outreach Center in Woodlawn, Md., and his brothers in the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, fellow guests provided support.
“The biggest takeaway from us is that you had over 600 people who forgot about their differences,” Hooks said. “They set aside all their ideologies. They set aside themselves for the sake of the other person. How we were able to take all races, all cultures, all religious backgrounds and we all united, that, for me, was amazing.”
Hooks now keeps in touch with just over 30 other survivors from across the country and world through a group chat. He and his wife eventually took a three hour bus trip to Kingston, Jamaica, returning home Nov. 5.
Maryland officials with ties to Jamaica have launched local relief efforts. Montgomery County Councilmember At-Large Laurie-Anne Sayles and Del. Jheanelle Wilkins, D-District 20, both Jamaican natives, announced an official partnership with the Embassy of Jamaica to designate the Silver Spring Civic Building and Montgomery College Bioscience Education Center as donation hubs. Residents are encouraged to donate compact, easy to ship items, such as hygiene items, bottled water, baby supplies and first-aid kits, according to a press release
“Jamaica is where I was born and a place that will always be a part of me. I am heartbroken by the devastation Hurricane Melissa has caused,” Wilkins said in a press release. “Montgomery County’s compassion knows no borders, and together we will show up, provide relief, and help rebuild the Jamaica we love.”
Rhyan Lake, senior communications strategist for Gov. Wes Moore’s office, said the state is closely monitoring the aftermath and stands ready to support Marylanders in need, including assisting those seeking to return home in getting in contact with the U.S. Embassy.