After Hurricane Melissa forced a shutdown of Jamaica’s international airports it was back to normal at one major facility on Thursday. As planned, commercial flights resumed at Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) on Thursday morning — but not without scenes of congestion and impatience.

By midday long lines had formed in the departure hall as scores of tourists and visitors, many of whom were stranded in Jamaica since the weekend, scrambled to rebook flights and return to their homes.

“We were supposed to leave Sunday,” said Caymanian Khadija Himed, who spoke with the Jamaica Observer at NMIA alongside her partner, Jasper Humphries.

She explained that what was meant to be a brief visit to Jamaica turned into an extended stay after flight cancellations and accommodation shortages.

“We arrived two weeks ago, but we spent only six days. We went to the Dominican Republic, and on the way back home, it was like a transit flight, so we got stuck. Our flight was the last one before they closed the airports — 30 minutes before they closed — and then we went to a hotel and they told us that they didn’t have enough space, so we visited three other hotels, and they didn’t have any other spaces either. So then we had to get an Airbnb, and then we finally had a place to stay,” she said.

The couple said they felt safe at the Airbnb in New Kingston despite the treacherous weather conditions.

“The storm for us, where we were staying, was okay…there was no flooding or anything,” Humphries said.

“The only problem was the food. We were supposed to get a hotel with food and everything, but then we couldn’t get the hotel, and when we got the Airbnb, it was too late to get the food.”

With limited transport options and uncertainty about which stores remained open, Humphries said he and Himed turned to social media for help on Monday, the day before the hurricane made landfall.

“We got a local taxi to a couple grocery stores, and…it was funny, but I went live on TikTok, and I asked for help. Someone reached out to me and sent us a taxi, and then we went from there. We went to bigger markets and we got food, but I think it was kind of hard for us to find out what was open and what wasn’t, food-wise,” he said.

After days of waiting, Himed and his companion returned to the airport Tuesday morning, only to find that their rebooked flight was for the following day.

“We booked another flight for tomorrow [Friday], not today. I had to get a family member abroad to call Cayman Airways because we didn’t have data here,” said Himed.

“So we came here for no reason and now we asked them if they can give us the flight for 4:10. They told us just to stick around — we might get it, and we might not,”

Despite the challenges, the couple remained optimistic.

“We love Jamaica. We’re definitely coming back, not during the hurricane though,” Humphries said with a laugh.

Meanwhile, for members of the Hudson family, who were staying at the Ocean Coral Spring resort in Trelawny, the experience, while not severe, was challenging.

“I am just glad to be going home,” said Jackie Hudson, who expressed relief as she prepared to depart the island.

She told the Observer that while she and her family were not in a life-threatening situation — despite Trelawny being severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa — several logistical challenges made their stay increasingly difficult.

“We were all over the place, I could not believe what we were facing, but if I am being honest, our situation was not too bad compared to what others in that region had to go through. We have seen the videos and the pictures, and it is truly indescribable,” she said.

Jackie explained that with limited cell service, several blocked roads, and the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James, still out of operation, she decided to call her stepson, Dean Hudson, who lives in Kingston, to pick her and her family up from the resort and take them to NMIA so they could return home.

“We are supposed to leave tomorrow, but our flights kept on getting cancelled even before the hurricane came, so we are staying here tonight to ensure that we get home as soon as possible,” said Jackie as she indicated that her flight back to Florida is scheduled for 1:00 pm on Friday.

In the meantime, another woman, who was returning to New York, expressed frustration at the difficult circumstances.

“All this mud, rain and water…I did not sign up for this. I am just glad to be gone now,” she said anonymously, reflecting on her time spent in Portland during the hurricane.

Commercial flights are expected to resume at Sangster International Airport today.

Tourists Jasper Humphries (left) and Khadija Himed at Norman Manley International Airport on Tuesday await their flight to the Cayman Islands. (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Long line of tourists and visitors at Norman Manley International Airport waiting to book their flights as they set to leave Jamaica on Thursday following the passage of Hurricane Melissa. (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

From left: Imani Hudson, Ty Hudson, Jada Hudson, Dean Hudson and Jackie Hudson at Norman Manley International Airport on Thursday as they await their flight to Florida. (Photo: Karl Mclarty)