TAMPA, Fla. — Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday morning as a Category 3 storm, bringing dangerous flooding, powerful winds, and knocking out power for tens of thousands of residents across the island.
In Tampa, family members like Vicente Amor remain in the dark, waiting and praying their loved ones are safe.
"We try to be in contact with them, and we don't get contact yet," says Amor, "We have a lot of concerns. So my wife is on top of that, to get news -- hopefully good news," Amor said.
Amor's family mostly lives on the east side of Cuba, which was the hardest hit by the hurricane.
"They moved to better places, you know, places that have construction that's stronger and more resistant to the wind and to the water," Amor said.
For the Amor family, getting word to their loved ones and getting help to the island will be their next challenge.
"It's hard to send money. We send it to families, people that travel over there, so it's the way that we try to support them with money," Amor said.
Amor says the reason for that difficulty is the strained relations between the United States and Cuba -- something he hopes can be put aside during this crisis.
"The rule is that when a natural disaster happens, we put the difference behind. We're working to support the people and after that we can come back with the political situation. I wish, really I wish we can do that," Amor says.
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