Addicks’ hurricane support

Nice to see Charlton’s Jamaican Addicks plus others with Jamaican roots donate to relief funds and raise awareness to the devastating impacts of Hurricane Melissa that ran over the island with sustained winds of 185 mph winds in the early part of this week.

That is a huge storm, stronger winds than Hurricane Katrina for example, which devastated New Orleans in 2005 and killed 1,392 people.

Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 storm on Jamaica’south-western coast away from Kingston at least and Jamaica’s national stadium and the Norman Manley International Airport which is located on an island south of Kingston, which managed to escape major damage.

However, on the western side of the country all the way north to the tourist heavy Montego Bay there is terrible devastation and sadly the death count of 19 will get greater as search and rescue efforts continue and authorities try to get aid to hard-hit areas.

Jamaican internationals Karoy Anderson, Amari’i Bell, Tyreece Campbell and Kaheim Dixon plus Harvey Knibbs and Miles Leaburn, who have their families roots in Jamaica, all pledged to support the relief efforts.

Hurricane Melissa moved across my old manor of Bermuda last night as a Category 2, and was worse than expected but that island is more resilient and construction codes are greater than almost all Caribbean Islands.

A mate in Bermuda told me this morning that the winds were exceptionally loud last night as they tore around high areas creating pressure and noise.

I have lived in hurricane zones for more than 17 years, but it is that loud, low frequency roar similar to a freight train being sucked through a tunnel at speed that I will never forget.