So far, most of the drivers Observer Online spoke to on the way to storm-hit western Jamaica have had one enduring concern— the radio silence from their relatives inside the worst-affected areas.

“Mi deh pan the road from 6:00 this morning,” Portia Barnes told our news team about 12:00 pm.

The mother, who was manoeuvring her Toyota around downed trees and through mud, said: “Mi come from Parottee District, St Elizabeth. I went to stay at my son’s home in Mandeville. My other son, I couldn’t get him to come with me. I don’t know if anything happen to him.”

Another resident, Charlene Russell said she was very worried for her mom and sisters in Crawford, Black River.

“We are unable to get in touch with them…we heard there is no road to go there,” Russell said distressed.

Charlene Russell is worried for her mom and sisters in Crawford, Black River. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

For Nicole Johnson, her children are her biggest worry. She sent them to stay in houses more secure than her own board establishment but now she’s unaware of their status.

“My kids had to stay with family members during the storm. I can’t tell what happened to my kids because we cannot get to anyone over the phone. Signal gone,” Johnson shared.

Led by the Jamaica Defence Force DART team, road clearing efforts are underway. Ambulances to evacuate patients from the Black River Hospital, residents hoping to see family members and a slew of international media houses are part of a slow moving caravan toward western St Elizabeth where the capital of the parish, Black River, has been declared a disaster zone based on preliminary reports.

Manchester, Westmoreland and Clarendon are all said to have suffered major damage as well.

— Dana Malcolm and Kasey Williams