More Jamaicans arrive at Miami International Airport about 6 days after Hurricane Melissa

Commercial passenger flights arrive at MIA from Jamaica

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Janice Dormar, Roosevelt Anderson, and Kemar Himes arrived on Monday at Miami International Airport from Jamaica.

They were able to fly about six days after Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane near New Hope.

“We are without light, water, anything. We don’t have internet service,” said Dormar, who was in the Portland parish on the northeast coast of Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa left a path of destruction in the island’s western parishes and killed at least 32 people. Himes said Jamaicans were in survival mode.

“It’s really bad,” Himes said. “Persons are without homes right now.”

Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay reopened for disaster relief flights first and later for commercial passenger flights.

Anderson said he had a flight on Thursday that was delayed. Himes said he booked a flight on Sunday.

“Based on just when I booked my ticket, the price I paid for it, and the price it is now, the prices were just crazy, crazy,” Himes said. “Like, a regular person wouldn’t be able to afford those flights right now.”

The U.S. State Department issued a Level 3 travel advisory warning the public to “reconsider travel” to Jamaica. The U.S. Embassy in Kingston had resumed operations. Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston was also fully operational.

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Trent Kelly

Trent Kelly

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.

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Andrea Torres

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.