Jamaicans in the Hudson Valley are keeping close tabs on their families in the projected path of Hurricane Melissa, hoping the hurricane does not end up being a repeat of the last major hurricane to hit the island 37 years ago.

Newburgh Jamaican restaurant owner Curtis Brown and his customers were trying to advise their families Monday from afar.

Brown has siblings in Old Harbour on Jamaica's southern coast.

Hurricane Melissa is expected to hit that area hard, potentially transforming it.

"The first thing they have to do is get food for the house," he said grilling Monday's jerk chicken orders out front of the restaurant, "and then, otherwise, they're just going to take it from there."

Some of Brown's customers said phone and internet service on the island was already becoming spotty by midday Monday making it difficult to check on the people they love.

While they were thinking about what might come Tuesday, they are also thinking about 1988.

Olefieus Rodney was eight years old when Hurricane Gilbert his his hometown of Portmore, also on the southern coast.

GIlbert blew off roofs, took out power islandwide and killed 45 people.

Melissa is expected to be stronger.

Rodney has been checking in with his mother to make sure she has an evacuation plan and to send positive energy her way.

He cannot do much else at the moment, and feels helpless.

"I've been there before. I knew when storms would come and stuff," he said. "Hurricanes are like - there's just no way to prepare. When it comes, it'll do what it has to do."

Other Jamaicans in the Newburgh area said Monday they were putting together care packages for their families because they expect that after the storm stores will be overrun and resources will be short.

They had not yet sent the packages Monday since they were not immediately sure whether their families' homes will still be standing by the time the packages would arrive.