ATLANTA — Metro Atlanta resident Jason Walker waited with trepidation on Thursday afternoon before receiving a relieving phone call from his mother in Jamaica.
In the midst of a powerful, deadly hurricane that tore through the Caribbean, the 90-year-old survived.
"Thank God that my mom is fine," he said.
RELATED: Hurricane Beryl churns toward Mexico after leaving destruction in Jamaica and eastern Caribbean
Walker has deep ties to Jamaica and is starting to hear about Hurricane Beryl's effects on his community. His house, where his mother lives, has extensive damage to the roof. So far, he hasn't heard about any deaths, but there are many people he still hasn't heard from.
"Life is much more important," the current host of JWalker Buzz and the President of Caribbean Georgia Vote said about the circumstances.
Ongoing recovery efforts
Walker made the trek to Miami to visit the Consulate General of Jamaica and is already getting involved in the recovery efforts to help his community during this time.
According to the Consul General of Jamaica, Oliver Mair, who has responsibility for the southern United States, the government in Jamaica is assessing the level of damage and what specific areas have been most impacted. He said, based on current knowledge, damage has taken place island-wide, but there is significant damage in the southern part of Jamaica.
"We have a number of parishes where persons have lost roofs; blocked roads; you know their wooden structures have been totally demolished, there are flooded regions," Mair stated. "So there's a lot of damage, real damage there on the ground, especially in areas that are close to the coastline."
He said support for the community has already begun, and they are assembling drop-off points for people to bring items needed to help in the recovery process. In general, there are three ways they have been reaching out to the community.
The first is physical volunteers. They have a number of people not just from Jamaica, but from the Caribbean islands because multiple islands have been significantly affected. Those volunteers are coming to help pack hygiene and relief boxes to go to support different islands.
They are also asking people to make monetary donations. Jamaica's Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management is accepting monetary donations to Account Number 212-387-304.
The third is physical items that are needed, such as canned food items, blankets, first aid kits and materials to rebuild roofs.
Mair said that although he wears the Jamaican flag, they're supporting the other regions impacted, like Grenada and St. Vincent.
RELATED: Hurricane Beryl roars by Jamaica after killing at least 7 people in the southeast Caribbean
"We are gathering funds as well for them. And the Consuls General, for those regions, we meet every day," he said. "We have been impacted as a region, and we will work together, continue to work together as a region."
In terms of efforts to get involved in Atlanta, Walker said he is helping to arrange drop-off locations with the Caribbean Georgia Vote and the Atlanta Jamaican Association. 11Alive will provide this information once it's known. For the latest information on the efforts, Walker encourages those to check any of his platforms with JWalker Buzz, Caribbean Georgia Vote and the Jamaica Consulate in Miami.
These are primarily for those in Georgia and Florida, but Walker said for anyone in a different state, they will work to connect those with people to make it happen.
"No matter where in the world you are, we will connect you with who is doing work back home, you can help back home," Walker stated.
A history of resiliency, community support
For Walker, Hurricane Beryl and the effect it's having on Jamaica reminded him of Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
"I'll never forget when it was over, and I looked for the first time in my life from deep in Kingston; I could see the sea," he recalled. "The trees have completely been removed like the skyline was gone."
He said there was a lot of destruction, and they were out of electricity and communications for a long time.
But songs of resilience resonated for them during this time of recovery, he stated. From Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" to Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds," the songs were played all across the radio in Jamaica as a powerful anthem.
Now, although Jamaica wasn't hit nearly as hard, there is still damage and a need to rise in the midst of destruction.
"God bless us, it kind of turned a little bit to the left instead of hitting us directly," he said about Hurricane Beryl. "But there's still lots of damage. I even see stories of animals, amphibious animals that would never come on land, not on land like crocodiles and so on. So we're facing an interesting reality."
Walker said the biggest thing he wants people to take away is that natural disasters always happen, so it's essential for people to stay plugged in. This way, communities can be proactive and always have supplies to deal with tragedy.
In terms of Atlanta, Walker stated that the city has a reputation with the Caribbean, and when tragedy hits the area, Atlanta residents come through to assist those in need.
"When people come together in unity, amazing things happen. Let's keep it going," Walker stated. "Let's keep up our reputation, and unite, and be there for those who have been impacted."
Jamaica's Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management is accepting monetary donations to Account Number 212-387-304. For the latest information on the recovery efforts, Jason Walker encourages those to check any of his platforms on JWalker Buzz. You can also check out the Caribbean Georgia Vote and the Jamaica Consulate in Miami.