‘I cannot wait to give him a hug’: B.C. mother glad son is safe following Hurricane Irma

A White Rock, B.C. mother’s mind was racing as she waited to hear from her son, who was studying in the Caribbean when Hurricane Irma touched down.

Kumi Sikhakane said her son Kuvera goes to medical school in Saint Kitts and Nevis; she hadn’t heard from him for almost two days when Hurricane Irma passed by.

“It was a terrifying experience as a mother knowing that I couldn’t get a hold of him,” said Sikhakane.

Her son told her everything was shut down in preparation for the hurricane and they were not allowed to go out.

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The Category 5 storm tore apart nearby islands, but the damage wasn’t as intense on Saint Kitts and Nevis.

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Hurricane Jose could hit the very same islands that Irma did.

Sikhakane said she is a bundle of nerves as her son prepares for more heavy winds and rains.

“Oh, I cannot wait to give him a hug,” she said.

“That’s how it is. I just realized, my God, being a mom is the most difficult thing in the whole wide world.”

Hurricane Jose, a Category 2 storm, is seeing wind speeds of 193 kilometers per hour east of the Lesser Antilles. A hurricane watch has been issued for St. Martin and Sint Maarten.