‘Really scary’, Nashville, Mandeville man recounts ‘terrible’ Hurricane Melissa

"If mi faith neva strong maybe mi wudda go crazy to how this ya hurricane behave," Layford Johnson, a resident of Nashville in Mandeville, Manchester, said as he recalled the terrifying experience as Hurricane Melissa ripped through his home on Tuesday.

Johnson, 68, described the experience as terrible, stating that the Category 5 storm ripped off zinc from his roof, damaged the ceiling, and flooded his home.

“Dis ah di worst one eva pass through,” he declared.

“Dis yah girl yah really, when me say him [Hurricane Melissa] nuh ordinary, extraordinary girl dis yah pass through. Him rip up everything,” he continued.

He said he rode out the storm with a neighbour who took shelter at his home.

“Mi did prepare enuh. Mi decide to stay in. It was dangerous to even fi look outside, it was so dangerous,” said Johnson, calling his experience really scary.

He said Hurricane Melissa was the worst storm he has ever experienced.

“[Hurricane] Gilbert was my first experience. Dis [Hurricane Melissa] cannot compare to Gilbert. It cah compare to Ivan. Berly wasn’t even so bad. But, dis ah di worst hurricane we coulda eva experience.”

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