J.S. and her father were supposed to fly back to Switzerland on Monday – but Hurricane Melissa put a stop to their plans. First, there was a rebooking error with Delta Airlines. When we wanted to change to another flight, everything was already fully booked, the reader told 20 Minutes. So the Swiss had no choice but to wait out the storm in a hotel near Montego Bay.

It wasn't until Monday evening that the hotel officially informed 29-year-old J.S. and her 55-year-old father A.S. about the Category 5 hurricane heading toward the island."But we had already spoken to the locals and gathered information ourselves," she says. The weather service and local media were a great help.

The locals will probably lose everything

J. S. and her father prepared for the storm as best they could."We bought chips, bars, and enough to drink for three days," she says."Luckily, they brought board games with them. We still have electricity and internet and can regularly reassure our family in Switzerland. It's amazing that everything is still working for us—a blessing in disguise."

But the situation outside is frightening: It's crazy what's flying around—I've never seen anything like it before, says J.S. She feels particularly sorry for the locals. They're probably terrified and will probably lose everything. We're protected in our facility, but they have no chance against this wind.

One person told her that the government is preparing emergency shelters, but that no one will help with what happens after that. There will be no water or food. That makes me sad.

J.S. thinks about the huts she had seen earlier on the way to the hotel and is shocked: By the end of it, there probably won't be a single one left standing. It's a doomsday feeling.