‘We just had to ride it out’ – T&T student reflects on Hurricane Melissa

When Hurricane Melissa barrelled toward Jamaica, students at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona campus were told to brace for a storm of historic proportions.

Forecast as a Category 5 hurricane, Melissa sent waves of anxiety across the island—especially among foreign students like Trinidadian Breanna Bethel, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Students’ Association at Mona.

Speaking to Altos on October 31, a week after the powerful storm, Bethel admitted that the experience had left her exhausted but grateful. “I’m okay, just a bit tired,” she said, “but all in all, I’m blessed to be still here.”

Hunkered down on campus

Unlike some international students who evacuated, the majority of Trinidadian students decided to stay put. “We didn’t leave campus,” Bethel said. “Most of us were on campus for the entire duration of the hurricane.”

For her, the ordeal was not entirely new. “This is my second hurricane. Beryl wasn’t as bad as this one,” she explained. “Melissa was a Category 5 and was set to hit Kingston, but thankfully it changed course.” That shift spared Jamaica’s capital from a direct hit, though not from the fear and preparation that preceded it.

She described the days leading up to the storm as intense and stressful. “The prep this year was actually a lot,” she recalled. “We had to get foodstuff and make sure everybody had their supplies. The High Commission for Trinidad and Tobago over here provided some items, but we still had to go to the grocery, get more foodstuff, and ensure everyone was ready.”

Feelings of uncertainty

As news spread that other governments were evacuating their citizens, some Trinidadian students were left uneasy. “Honestly, I would have really liked to come home because we never experienced a hurricane before—especially a Category 5,” Bethel admitted. “We were disappointed that the government wasn’t communicating with us. But we were already here, so we just had to ride out the hurricane in Jamaica, even though we would have loved to be in Trinidad.”

For many, the silence was as unsettling as the storm itself. Students relied on one another, sharing updates and comfort where official guidance fell short. “Everybody was just tired from all the preparation,” she said, “but we kept each other’s spirits up.”

Waiting for normalcy

A week later, Mona’s campus is slowly returning to life, though the recovery remains uneven. “According to the university, they have online classes and then we’re back to school on Monday (November 2),” Bethel said. “But people in western Jamaica—some don’t have internet; some can’t get back to Kingston. There’s a meeting today (October 31) to discuss whether or not we’ll actually have physical classes.”

The academic disruption has been significant. “We were supposed to have final exams next week,” she explained. “My programme is medicine, so we have exams every five weeks. Other faculties had mid-semesters or assignments due between this week and next, so it will definitely affect how the semester moves forward.”

For many students, adjusting academically after such an ordeal will take time. The emotional strain, coupled with the logistical challenges of power cuts and patchy internet, has left a lingering sense of fatigue.

Finding community in crisis

Despite the fear and uncertainty, Bethel emphasised the sense of solidarity that emerged. “We just stayed with our classmates,” she said with a small laugh. “We played games, watched movies—it was just a big lime, basically. Especially when we heard it wasn’t going to hit Kingston, we weren’t as worried. But we were still concerned because it’s a Category 5.”

Moments of laughter and shared meals helped ease the tension. “It brought us closer together,” she reflected. “Even though we were far from home, we made sure nobody felt alone.”

Gratitude and resilience

As the island continues its recovery and students resume classes, Bethel remains grateful for the outcome. “Everybody seems to be fine,” she said. “We’re tired, but thankful.”

The experience has deepened her appreciation for community and preparedness. “You can’t really plan for something like this,” she said, “but you learn how strong people can be when they have to rely on each other.”

Assisted generation using ChatGPT.ai