Haiti-native in Charlotte concerned about hurricane hitting homeland

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Haiti-native Actionnel Fleurisma has been in Charlotte for two weeks and had planned to fly back Tuesday but his flight was canceled because of Hurricane Matthew and his concerns for his country is growing.

"Everybody has become very fearful about it," Fleurisma said.

Most of his family including one of his sons is there preparing for the worst.

"Hopefully he will be safe and he will be all right when we get there," he said.

There are 50,000 Haitians are still living in tents and many don't know where their next meal will come from, six years after a devastating earthquake.

Fleurisma is in Charlotte now working with more a dozen local churches that regularly send money and missionaries to the Caribbean country to provide food, education, shelter and hope.

"It is a way to encourage our people, those who call themselves forgotten people, to encourage them they're not forgotten. There's a God who cares," he said.

Nathan Arledge with Myers Park United Methodist is of the missionaries who has been to Haiti several times.

"There will be lots of sadness to be left behind,” Arledge said. “All of the crops will be destroyed. Lots of families will have no food."

Fleurisma is hoping to return to Haiti Thursday.

He is trying to keep in touch with family members in the meantime who said it's already raining a lot and know it will worsen quickly.

Cox Media Group