ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Pete Irving moved to Atlanta from Jamaica years ago. As Hurricane Melissa makes landfall, he says his family is waiting out the storm while he is waiting to go back to help.

“The island, it’s like our blood. It’s gonna get worse, and it’s like slow so it’s gonna do a lot of damage, “ said Irving.

Irving says they prepare for storms in Jamaica every summer by cutting trees, tying down roofs, and digging trenches for water to recede, but the infrastructure of the island makes recovery a challenge.

“A lot of roads are just destroyed. The water washes away and they have to rebuild those roads first before they get to parts of the island, “ said Irving.

Humanitarian organizations like Direct Relief are also watching Jamaica closely. Direct Relief sent hun

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