MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – A Milwaukee business owner is in Jamaica sheltering from Hurricane Melissa.

Nadine Dixon owns MoBay Cafe in Walker’s Point, a restaurant inspired by the food in the Caribbean and Jamaica. Dixon and her brother, Shane Johnson, were in Jamaica for her grandmother’s funeral on Saturday, Oct. 25. Dixon’s flight back to the U.S. was cancelled because of the storm.

Nadine Dixon, Shane Johnson CBS 58

"Obviously, we can’t tell Mother Nature what to do,” Dixon said. “I was aware of the tropical storm, obviously we didn’t know it was going to turn into a hurricane, especially a Category 5 hurricane.”

Hurricane Melissa made landfall around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The hurricane’s winds of 185 mph at the moment of landfall make it the strongest storm on record in the country.

Dixon and Johnson said their family is used to significant storms in the Caribbean, but they are still taking necessary precautions.

“I think we’re doing OK, both emotionally and mentally. From my point of view, I’m OK,” Dixon said. “I’m a little bit nervous, I’m not gonna lie, but I still have to keep that mental capacity clear.”

“I would say I’m not nervous. Just want it to be done with. Just having this thing lingering over you days after days is just putting more pressure on you, I believe,” Johnson said. “I would just want it to be calm and done with.”

Dixon and Johnson are sheltering in place at their resort on the island’s north side. Johnson said he feels safe with the boarded-up windows in place there, but other parts of the island don’t have those same protections.

“I’m more so worried about the family that lives in the country area, their infrastructure is not as strong as where we are, so I’m worried for them more than anything else to be honest with you,” Johnson said.

They believe the people of Jamaica will stay resilient through the storm.

“We tried to prepare,” Dixon said. “With the grace of God, we’re going to tough this out. So, everyone back home, please pray for us, pray for our safety.”

The following statement was released by the American Red Cross:

“The American Red Cross is closely coordinating with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to understand how Hurricane Melissa is affecting international Red Cross societies and where we can support in the coming days and weeks. 

We are supporting an Emergency Family Assistance Center at Naval Air Station Pensacola to assist with the evacuation of U.S. citizens ahead of impacts from Hurricane Melissa. We are always grateful for the generosity of our community. At this time, as the full scope of humanitarian impacts is not clear, we are not accepting donated items for this operation."

For information from the IFRC and their efforts, CLICK HERE.