'Hell on Earth': 3 US couples rode out Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica

(NewsNation) — Three U.S. couples who traveled to Jamaica together this month got more than they bargained for when Hurricane Melissa rapidly materialized and slammed into the island Tuesday, leaving a deadly swath of destruction.

Virginia resident Jessica Pope says she and other members of her group rode out the storm at their waterfront hotel in White House on Jamaica’s southwest side. Now, they’re all trying to figure out how to get home.

“It’s been very stressful. I don’t think that we’ve processed it yet,” Pope, joined by the other members of her group, told “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on Wednesday evening. “We’re trying to keep our spirits up. We were able to talk to our families this morning, so that brought a lot of us a lot of peace. Because we knew they were home hearing Lord knows what.”

Pope’s six-member group, including her husband, travels to the Caribbean every October. The friends said they had no inkling that a Category 5 hurricane would develop to put their lives in danger.

When they could not escape before Melissa made landfall, the group hunkered down at their resort as the storm lashed the region. One couple’s room became uninhabitable when a window was blown out.

Now, the group's focus is on getting back to the United States. Members have double-booked flights in hopes of leaving as soon as Saturday, Pope said. But that is contingent on the roads being free enough of debris to get to the airport. A large tree has effectively blocked their hotel’s gate, Pope said.

“Nobody here is injured, thank goodness, but we know outside these gates is hell on earth,” she said.

Melissa's top winds hit 185 mph (295 kph), making it one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. The storm left at least dozens dead and caused widespread destruction.