Mum 'humbled' by Hurricane Melissa ordeal

Cherie Wiles, from Hull, was on a birthday holiday when the hurricane struck

A woman who barricaded herself in a hotel bathroom during Hurricane Melissa says she feels "humbled" by the experience.

Cherie Wiles, from Hull, was on holiday in Jamaica to celebrate her birthday when the storm struck.

The mother-of-three said it felt "bizarre" to have survived and now be back in Britain in the comfort of her home when so many people had "lost everything".

"I wish I could do more for them. They're desperately in need of some help," she added.

The roads in Black River, western Jamaica, are heavily damaged and overcrowded

Miss Wiles, 48, and a friend travelled to Jamaica on 22 October.

She said: "The bus driver and people in the airport were singing happy birthday to me. We were living our best lives.

"Then a few days in we got told that a category five hurricane was heading towards us."

The storm struck Jamaica on 28 October, when winds of up to 185mph (295 km/h) led to at least 28 deaths.

Hotel managers advised guests that their bathrooms would be the safest place to stay.

Mattresses and furniture became barricades, with cushions and pillows used as beds during an eight-hour ordeal.

'You can't die'

"We could hear the winds whistling around the building. Rain water was coming under the hotel room door," Miss Wiles said.

"I told my friend before it even started, 'you can't die while you're with me'."

Part of the hotel roof was damaged, the hallway flooded and trees were uprooted.

Miss Wiles was unable to contact friends and family for two days.

"The hardest part was not being able to let them [her children] know that I was OK. I was more worried about my kids being worried about me."

Cherie Wiles enjoying her holiday before the hurricane hit

Miss Wiles flew home when a flight was available, but has been encouraging people to help via the appeals being run by established aid organisations such as the Red Cross.

"People are hungry, people are thirsty, people haven't got roofs over their heads."

She said it did not feel fair that she was home safe while others were suffering.

"If I would have been of any help to anybody, I would have stayed."

Miss Wiles booked the holiday a year before travelling. She was aware it was hurricane season, but was shocked when Melissa became a Category 5 storm.

"We survived it and came off really lightly but if someone had said before I went, I would have been silly to say I'm still going," she added.

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