Grange Hill After Melissa: A Cry for Help

I’m Dex I’ve lived in Grange Hill all my life — born and raised among the sugarcane fields, the laughter of children playing by the roadside, and the sweet sound of church bells on Sunday mornings. But today, my home — the community I love — looks nothing like the place I grew up in. Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 monster, tore through Grange Hill and left behind only heartbreak, mud, and memories.

It started with the wind. At first, we thought it was just another storm. We’ve seen hurricanes before — we’ve learned to board up windows, pack water, and pray. But Melissa wasn’t like anything we’ve ever faced. By nightfall, the winds were howling like angry spirits, ripping zinc from rooftops and hurling trees like matchsticks. Then came the rain — endless, heavy, merciless. The river overflowed, swallowing yards, roads, and dreams in one dark sweep.

When the sun finally rose, it revealed a nightmare.

Entire homes were gone — not damaged, gone. Roofs were peeled away, leaving families staring at the open sky. The little shop Miss Bev used to run for 30 years — where everyone stopped for a bag juice or a story — flattened. The primary school, where our children learned and laughed, now has no roof and no walls. The football field where we used to gather on Sunday evenings is covered in debris and mud. The power lines hang low like broken vines, and the once-green hills are now scarred with landslides.

What hurts most isn’t the buildings — it’s the people.

Mothers clutching children with nowhere dry to sleep. Farmers crying over destroyed crops — their only means of survival. Elderly neighbors sitting outside what used to be their homes, staring blankly into the distance. Families are hungry. Water is contaminated. There’s no electricity. Communication is almost gone. And yet, even through the tears, the people of Grange Hill try to comfort each other. That’s who we are — strong, proud, and hopeful. But right now, we can’t rebuild alone.

I’m writing this as Dex, someone who grew up walking these roads barefoot, who knows every face in this community. I’ve seen Grange Hill through good times and bad, but this — this is beyond anything we can manage without help.

We’re starting a GoFundMe to help rebuild Grange Hill, Westmoreland — to restore homes, support families who lost everything, and bring back the spirit of this beautiful community. Every dollar donated will go directly toward rebuilding roofs, supplying clean water, food, school materials, and restoring hope where Hurricane Melissa took it away.

This isn’t just about structures — it’s about restoring lives.

Please, if you’re reading this, don’t scroll past. Help us rise again.

We may be broken right now, but with your support, Grange Hill can stand strong once more.

Donate to help Grange Hill rebuild after Hurricane Melissa.

Every bit of kindness counts. ❤️