Raleigh police officer, locals try to reach family in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa
YOU WHERE IT'S GOING. WHICH A
PLACE YOU MAY NOT EXPECT COMING
UP. ALL RIGHT, MIKE, THANK YOU.
MELISSA IS DONE WITH JAMAICAN.
THIS IS WHAT IT LEFT BEHIND.
NEW AT 5 O'CLOCK. MORE THAN
70% OF THE ISLAND IS WITHOUT
POWER. AND THAT'S CREATING A
COMMUNICATIONS NIGHTMARE.
WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE
IMPACT OF THE STORM ON PEOPLE
WHO LIVE HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA
AND HAVE RELATIVES THERE,
INCLUDING A RALEIGH POLICE
OFFICER WHO HASN'T HEARD FROM
HIS FAMILY.
>> THE BUREAU'S WHEN SNYDER IS
LIVE AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS AT
THE SPEAKING WITH HIM TODAY AND
FLYNN, WE CAN ALL UNDERSTAND
HIS ANXIETY.
>> YEAH, GERALD, EVERYDAY
OFFICER RAUL FRANCIS ANSWERS
THE CALL TO SERVE HERE WITH
RPD. NOW HE'S ANXIOUSLY WAITING
FOR A LITERAL CALL FROM HIS
PARENTS IN JAMAICA TELLING HIM
THERE, OKAY.
>> I TRY TO CALL HIM. IT'S A
CALL. RALEIGH POLICE OFFICER
ROW FRANCES MAKES ALMOST DAILY
THIS TIME. IT GOES UNANSWERED.
HE JUST STOP. FRANCIS IS TRYING
TO REACH HIS PARENTS IN
JAMAICA. HE HASN'T HEARD FROM
THEM SINCE HURRICANE MELISSA
MADE LANDFALL AS A POWERFUL
CATEGORY 5 THIS WEEK LEAVING A
PATH OF DESTRUCTION ON PRETTY
MUCH CONCERN. HOWEVER, I
BELIEVE THEY'RE OK TO FLY.
THEY DO HAVE. HOW ARE OUR AND
INTERNET SERVICE AT THIS TIME?
IT'S A REALITY. MANY IN NORTH
CAROLINA WITH TIES TO JAMAICA
ARE FACING.
>> MAYBE 3 MINUTES BEFORE HIS
CALM. I GOT TO COME FROM HER
JAMAICAN NATIVE IN ROCKY MOUNT
RESIDENTS OF DEL. DO OUR GOT
GOOD NEWS DAYS AFTER THE STORM
PASSED THIS SCREENSHOT FROM THE
FAMILY VIDEO CALL SHOWS THE
MOMENT HE FOUND OUT HIS FAMILY
IN JAMAICA IS OK, WHAT WAS THAT
CALL LIKE?
>> I MEAN, I WAS A SCREAMING
WHEN I SAW MY NIECES, MY
MOTHER, SHE'S UP RELATED AND
SHE SAID DURING THE ENTIRE
ORDEAL THAT SAW CITY JUST FRED
FRANCIS PRAYS FOR A SIMILAR
CALL. AND IN THE MEANTIME,
STILL ANSWERS CALLS FOR
SERVICE. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE
MY FAMILY. AND TO MY MIND, YOU
KNOW, HOPING THAT THEY'RE OKAY.
>> AND I THOUGHT HAVE TO BE
LEVEL-HEADED AND TRIED TO MAKE
SURE THAT, HEY, I'M FOCUSING
ON THE JOB AND HE HOPES HE'LL
HEAR FROM LOVED ONE SOON.
>> AS THE DESTRUCTION COMES
INTO BETTER FOCUS. I JUST WANT
HIM TO KNOW THAT I LOVE THEM
AND I HOPE THEY'RE OKAY.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING RIGHT NOW.
>> SO FRANCIS LAST TALKED WITH
HIS PARENTS ON MONDAY. HE HOPES
THAT SHARING HIS STORY WILL
HELP SHED LIGHT ON THE HUMID
IMPACT. THIS STORM HAS HAD AND
ALSO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO
SUPPORT RELIEF EFFORTS. WE HAVE
TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN DO SO ON
OUR WEBSITE ON THIS STORY.