Mark Jathan loves Jamaican food, culture and everything in between.

He even opened a restaurant to bring some of the island's dishes to Central Florida.

Now the island where he grew up is facing a severe hurricane.

“Our people down there are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best,” Jathan said.

Jathan said he was checking in with his aunts, cousins ​​and other relatives every few hours as the storm intensified.

“They still have power. The wind is increasing. Some roofs have been blown off. There is a bridge in Montego Bay. They say it is impossible. The bridge is already damaged,” Jathan said.

Mark's cousin, Misha Jae, who lives in Kingston, Jamaica, called during our interview.

“Landslides are becoming more frequent. Various places are becoming impassable. Port Royal is impassable. So people are actually going to emergency shelters,” Jae said.

Jae said everyone on the island had done their best to prepare.

“I was at the supermarket yesterday. The lines were crazy. I taped the windows and doors and stocked up on sandbags to prevent flooding. We're checking the roof and hope it stays intact,” said Jae.

“You said you were going to check on your family. How is it going? The hurricane is moving from east to west right now, so most of my relatives are in the west. They're fine right now. I'll keep checking in with them and hope they're safe,” Jae said.

Jathan said they will need tents, generators, nonperishable food and more after the storm.

Once the storm passes, he plans to collect items to send to Jamaica to help victims recover.

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