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Halifax couple honeymooning in Jamaica ask for prayers as Hurricane Melissa makes landfall
A newly married couple’s relationship is facing what might be its toughest test yet in a trial against Mother Nature.
Wayne and Bridgette Todd are newlyweds from Halifax County and are on their honeymoon in Jamaica when they learned Hurricane Melissa would not only disrupt their fun, but also put them in the middle of a life-threatening situation.
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The hurricane hit Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. The storm has brought rain and tropical storm-force winds since Monday. The entire island was seeing flash flooding and storm surge.
With all the unforeseen stress, Bridgette said the couple is hoping for the best and keeping faith that they’ll remain safe. They’re staying at a resort outside Negril on the island’s west coast.
“We just keep asking people to send prayers for everybody that’s stranded here and the country of Jamaica,” Bridgette said.
The Todds, who work as paramedics in Halifax County, are staying at a resort and said they’ve been on lockdown since Monday night. The picturesque destination spot they picked to celebrate their nuptials is now surrounded by clouds and uncertainty.
“We’re kind of bunkered down here in our room,” Bridgette said. “We’ve got, like, all of our furniture and our mattress against the balcony, door and window.”
As medical responders, the two have composed a strategy for the worst-case scenario. Bridgette said they have extra clothes, a supply of medications, some snacks, water bottles and a lighter.
“We have a game plan,” Bridgette said. “We have a go bag packed
ready for us if we happen to need to leave our room. There is a stairwell right
across from us that we could also bunker down in if stuff becomes unstable in
our room.
“Along with that, we already made like a
little pallet in the bathroom, just in case we have to move this way. And
then, we also filled up our bathtub with water in case, for
contamination purposes, or if we run out of water.”
An advisory from the National Hurricane Center on Tuesday described the gravity of the storm.
“THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION! TAKE COVER NOW!”
Bridgette said they tried to leave on Sunday, but the airport closed that day.
“That was a little frustrating,” Bridgette said. “Because the weather appeared nice that day, and even half the day yesterday. We’re kind of confused as to why they couldn’t have got more people out sooner.”