GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Derron Wilson, owner of Lil Jamaica Bar & Grill in Green Bay, anxiously waits for word from friends and family in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa slammed into the island nation Tuesday, leaving widespread devastation in its wake.
Wilson, who moved from Jamaica to Green Bay six years ago to open his restaurant, has not heard from loved ones for days as the third most-powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean caused catastrophic damage across the island.
Communication cut off after direct hit
Wilson's hometown of Westmoreland, as well as Negril, suffered a direct hit from the massive storm, leaving him without contact with those he cares about most.
"It's been since two days since I've heard anything from anybody that I really know back home," Wilson said.
Wilson and his son Kymani, who joined him in Green Bay in February, are hoping the silence is due to power outages rather than something worse.
"We're hoping that it's like the power went out and batteries and all of that because where they are is more remote," they said.
Father and son support each other through uncertainty
Kymani Wilson, 18, is still adjusting to life in Green Bay after arriving from Jamaica earlier this year, making the shared worry about family back home even more significant for the father-son duo.
"Yeah, he just got here from Jamaica, you know, like in February, so he's still adjusting to Green Bay and just how the culture of Green Bay is," Derron Wilson said.
The restaurant business has become something that bonds them together as they navigate both the challenges of running a business and the anxiety of not knowing their family's fate.
Community support in Green Bay
The Wilsons have found support in Green Bay's business community, particularly in the Shipyard District where their restaurant is located.
"I think it's like a community as a family of bars that that's concentrated right in this area. So if one bar has something going on in their like bar family, then I think all the bars in the Shipyard District are some neighboring bars would come together and help out in that aspect," they said.
Maintaining hope despite devastation
Despite the uncertainty and reports of widespread destruction, the Wilsons maintain faith in the resilience of the Jamaican people.
"Like even though they're going through a hurricane and they're like, it's devastation or whatever, their spirit is not broken," they said.
Fundraising efforts launched
Wilson has started a GoFundMe campaign on his Facebook page, hoping to send financial assistance back to his family and close friends affected by the devastating hurricane.
The fundraising effort reflects the strong ties many immigrants maintain with their home countries, even after establishing new lives thousands of miles away.
As Wilson continues to wait for news from Jamaica, he and his son lean on each other and their Green Bay community for support during this difficult time.
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