KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. She's been covering the local tie to Hurricane Melissa since before the storm made landfall last month. Share your story idea with Megan.
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A disaster response specialist from Kansas City-based Heart to Heart International is on the ground in Jamaica assessing the widespread damage from Hurricane Melissa and coordinating relief efforts.
Grant Matthews, a disaster response specialist at Heart to Heart International, arrived in Kingston, Jamaica on Friday to evaluate the hurricane's impact across the island.
"We arrived on Friday in Kingston," Matthews said. "I've been doing some assessment trips to different parts of the island.
Matthews said the organization's mission is to understand the full scope of damage and match it with appropriate medical aid.
"The main objective is to go out into the communities, to visit hospitals and clinics to get a full idea of what the scope of the damage really is and what the needs are on the ground, and pair that with medical donations from Heart to Heart," Matthews said.
The damage Matthews has observed is extensive and varied.
"A lot of damage so far, we're seeing some widespread damage in the form of flooding and wind damage," Matthews said.
"A lot of downed trees, a lot of downed power lines, structural damage to homes and businesses, flooded and washed-out streets, large piles of debris everywhere and then just a general lack of resources, fuel is scarce, cell phone service is spotty, most people are running on generators," Matthews said. "There's a lack of food; there's a lack of medical supplies."
Despite the devastation, Matthews has been impressed by the local response.
"The Jamaicans that we have met with are incredibly resilient, very optimistic, and ready to help each other and help rebuild their communities and their neighborhoods," Matthews said.
He said the recovery process will be lengthy and complex.
"It is going to be a long-term response here,' he said. "It's going to take a long time for people to get back on their feet, to have communities up and running again."
He believes healthcare access has emerged as the most critical immediate concern.
"A lot of clinics and hospitals in rural areas were severely damaged," Matthews said. "Now, you're seeing all of those patients being transferred into hospitals and clinics that are operational, the few that are, and they're operating with staff that have been completely overwhelmed, that are working 20 hour shifts straight, running out of supplies, running out of space and so we're just trying to figure out how the best way is that organizations like us can help out as best as we can."
Heart to Heart International has already sent tens of thousands of hygiene kits to Jamaica, along with medicine and medical supplies.
He said transportation remains a significant challenge for both relief efforts and evacuations.
"I went to the Montego Bay Airport yesterday and spoke with some staff who mentioned that they were going to try and get some flights operational," Matthews said. "Right now, it's reduced to private flights, some evacuation flights for foreign nationals, and some emergency services, but, the cargo and passenger operations are hopefully going to be taken into effect here in the next couple of days."
The airport situation continues to affect stranded travelers. KSHB News reporter Megan Abundis previously spoke with Kansas residents Lucas and Jordan Hockenbury, newlyweds who were on their honeymoon in Jamaica when the hurricane hit. They've tried multiple times to leave the island, but their flights have been repeatedly canceled.
Originally scheduled to leave last Tuesday, their flight scheduled for today, Nov. 3, was also canceled. The couple has been rescheduled to leave Nov. 4.
"We are healthy and safe and that is the priority," said Lucas and Jordan Hockenbury.
"We have seen what's beyond the walls and our hearts and hopes are with every person, local or stranded, dealing with the impacts of this," the Hockenburys said. "We are still taking it day by day and finding the silver linings. Feeling blessed to have safety and jobs that have been understanding this is beyond our control.
Matthews expressed gratitude for Kansas City's support of their relief efforts.
"The love that Kansas City has for us and for helping out communities in need, whether it's our own or on the other side of the Caribbean or on the other side of the world, is amazing," Matthews said. "We're just grateful that we can do our part."
For more information about Heart to Heart International's relief efforts, visit https://www.hearttoheart.org/
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