'Debris hit Jamaica hotel as we sheltered from storm inside'

The resort that Delroy Galloway was staying at in Montego Bay was devastated by Storm Melissa

A holidaymaker who sheltered in the basement of a hotel in Jamaica during Hurricane Melissa has described how part of the roof fell in and debris hit the building at the height of the storm.

Delroy Galloway, from Stocksbridge in South Yorkshire, flew to the island with his 13-year-old daughter for a family holiday three days before the storm made landfall on 28 October.

The firefighter said they found themselves "in lockdown" in the hotel during the category five storm. Sixty-seven people have died as a result of the hurricane.

"The devastation we saw, the beauty of the hotel and resort, had been transformed into a scene from a war movie, it was breathtaking for the wrong reasons," he said.

The 57-year-old said he had flown out to Jamaica from Heathrow without knowing much about the hurricane.

"We all thought it was going to hit the lower part of the island and wouldn't affect us up in Montego Bay in the north," he said.

"We started to see the red flags when we got to the airport and were quickly ushered on to the plane, and we were told the plane was going to set off early."

During the flight, another passenger told Mr Galloway about news picked up from an email that the hurricane was changing direction and would hit further up the island in Montego Bay.

By the time the flight landed, Mr Galloway said his "spider senses were tingling".

"The airline staff that had been on the plane literally overtook us coming through the airport and I remember thinking, 'something is not right,'" he said.

Delroy Galloway and his teenage daughter flew to Jamaica to celebrate his cousin's 25th wedding anniversary

When Mr Galloway arrived at the five star resort with his daughter, he said it was clear that most of the facilities would not be available to guests.

"They posted letters under our door every day telling us that the hotel was shutting down and that the hurricane had been upgraded to a category five," he said.

"Lunch was served in the reception area and outside all the cafes, roads and venues had been closed down."

When the storm made landfall, guests were moved into a cinema room and then to a basement area for 24 hours.

"We were down in the cinema area and the roof started to fall in," Mr Galloway said.

"You could hear bits of building and debris hitting and striking the building outside.

"Water started leaking into the cinema area, people's anxiety levels were rising again."

The South Yorkshire firefighter described destruction of the scene after the hurricane

Despite the dramatic change in holiday plans, Mr Galloway was full of praise for the "tireless" hotel staff.

"They did everything they could for us despite never knowing if their own family was safe or if their homes were still standing," he said.

"They were incredible."

Widespread damage was caused to property and the natural environment as a result of the hurricane, which was one of the strongest ever recorded in the Caribbean.

A huge clean up effort has begun, with aid organisations working to get much needed supplies to affected communities.

Guests at the hotel were moved into the basement to shelter from the storm

In total, 16 members of Mr Galloway's family had made the trip to celebrate his cousin's wedding anniversary on the island.

The trip had cost Mr Galloway nearly £5,000 and he said he believed travel firm Love Holiday did not warn him about the hurricane and possible disruption before the trip.

He said: "We had nothing from them in advance

"They should have offered us alternative dates to take our holiday and not flown us out to risk our lives. They took a gamble that it would be ok."

A spokesperson from Love Holiday said: "We take the safety of our customers seriously and closely monitored the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) travel advice in relation to Hurricane Melissa.

"We were in touch with Mr Galloway throughout his trip to update him on the movements of Hurricane Melissa and to share advice received directly from his airline about repatriation flights.

"We have offered to cover Mr Galloway's out of pocket expenses and have offered all impacted customers a £100 voucher towards their next holiday."

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