A Duquesne woman is stranded in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa pounds the island with heavy rain and strong winds.
Antoinette Margita was on vacation in Montego Bay when the storm hit.
She said she has been sheltering in her hotel bathroom, listening to the wind howl and glass shatter outside.
“Just scared. I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Margita said. “It just sounds crazy. The wind is blowing like crazy. It’s like the door is trying to open.”
Phone service cut in and out during her interview on Tuesday as conditions worsened.
Margita said she does not know when she will be able to return home after her Wednesday flight was canceled.
In Pittsburgh, the Brother’s Brother Foundation is preparing to send more than 6,000 hygiene kits on 14 pallets, medical equipment, wheelchairs, and mattresses to Jamaica once it is safe to ship supplies.
“Whenever we see a disaster, the first thing we think of is how we can respond,” said Ozzy Samad, president of the organization. “Fortunately, we have a partner based in southern Florida and Jamaica.”
Margita said she traveled to Jamaica to celebrate a friend’s birthday, but that friend decided not to come.
“I kind of should have listened to her and not come,” she said.
The foundation’s trucks are expected to move supplies to South Florida on Wednesday before heading to Jamaica once conditions improve.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
