As news of the disaster spread, members of the Fayetteville community stepped in to help with donations.
"The unfortunate truth of this report is the response from NC to Hurricanes Matthew and Florence was a disaster," said Dave Boliek.
In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, the school has launched a schoolwide relief drive to support families
The state filed the lawsuit to protect $17M after FEMA and Department of Homeland Security withheld money promised to states for disaster relief.
The funds will help provide emergency supplies, food, shelter and other essential services to families and communities working to rebuild after the storm.
"Even though I'm not in Jamaica, I'm still Jamaican. I'm still standing with fellow Jamaicans," she said.