Travelers from Jamaica land in Chicago hours before Hurricane Beryl makes landfall
CHICAGO (CBS) – As Hurricane Beryl tore through the Caribbean Tuesday, several Chicagoans with loved ones in Jamaica worried about their safety.
CBS News Chicago spoke with people landing in the city Tuesday evening to escape the powerful storm.
The last flight of the night from Montego Bay was a full one. Some passengers said they changed their plans to escape the potential storm.
Their concern was for those who were still back in Jamaica and hoping the storm would change direction away from the island.
As Jamaican officials urged residents to take the hurricane as a serious threat, Akeem Brown, the bar manager at a Rogers Park restaurant, was worried.
"I'm really hoping and praying that it makes a turn away from my island," Brown said.
He's also been making frequent video chats with his parents and kids in Negril, Jamaica, which helps him stay calm in the midst of the storm.
"I was brought up in the family who was a very God-fearing family. We believe in prayer," he said. "So whatever is going on, whatever tragedy, struggles, we pray about it."
Brown's mother said she's also worried.
"We don't know what to expect," she said. "We've had hurricanes already, but this one is bigger."
Other travelers who arrived to Chicago just hours before the storm was slated to hit the island said they left before the rain began.
"Weather was still fine," said Laurence Reynolds. "It was sunny throughout the day. A lot of people changed their flights to earlier. The airport was busy, a lot of people leaving."
The Reynolds made it back from their honeymoon in Montego Bay hours before airports there closed due to the hurricane.
"It was a full flight," he said.
Three of the airports in Jamaica will remain closed at least through Wednesday. Several U.S. airlines are working with travelers who were impacted by canceling rebooking fees and adding more flights Tuesday to help get people home safely.
