A Category 5 Hurricane Melissa is bearing down on Jamaica tonight, leaving families in Milwaukee with loved ones on the island anxiously watching and hoping for the best.
Lilo Allen has been checking in nonstop with her father in Mandeville, Jamaica, where strong winds and flooding are hitting hard. She calls the wait an anxious, helpless feeling but is turning that worry into action.
"I saw my dad cry for the first time last night because I was crying, I was so, so nervous," Allen said.
Allen's phone hasn't stopped buzzing. Her father, Daniel O'Sullivan, lives in Mandeville, Jamaica — a town now under flood warning as Hurricane Melissa moves closer.
"It's getting really bad. It was actually really hard for him to get to shelter. I wanted him to stay at a hotel because his home isn't fit, I don't think, for this storm. We're still recovering from Beryl," Allen said.
Hurricane Beryl tore through O'Sullivan's property — collapsing part of the roof and wiping out fruit trees. Allen says the fear feels all too familiar.
"It's a deep anxiety that's just like sitting in the middle of my chest. It's kind of a helpless feeling, but also I know that Jamaican folks are resilient. They've gone through this before, so I'm just hoping that everybody is like taking heed to the warnings and preparing as much as possible," Allen said.
O'Sullivan is now in a hotel that Allen managed to secure for him from Milwaukee, but communication remains difficult.
Watch: Milwaukee Woman Finds way to support families threatened by Hurricane Melissa
"He's very nervous because my dad is elderly and he's down there by himself, so this is a very stressful time for him. During Beryl, we stayed on FaceTime the entire time until the power went out, and that was terrifying. I just don't want him to go through that again," Allen said.
Despite the worry, Allen is already thinking about what comes next — rebuilding and helping others do the same.
"A fundraiser through Papyrus and Charms and sell the bags that he makes, to kind of just raise funds for hurricane relief," Allen said.
The fundraiser for families can be found on her website https://www.papyrusandcharms.com, or you can stop in her store at 2236 N Dr Martin Luther King Dr. in the Bronzeville Community
Those bags, handmade by O'Sullivan in Jamaica, will now serve a new purpose — a symbol of resilience and hope. Allen says every sale will go directly to families recovering from Hurricane Melissa.
\
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
