Rushing Relief to Jamaica

Airlifts Bringing Immediate Relief to Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa Causes Destruction

Jamaica was hit Oct. 28 by the planet's strongest storm of the year.

Less than 48 hours after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, Samaritan’s Purse airlifted the first members of a Disaster Assistance Response Team along with more than 38,000 pounds of life-saving relief supplies to the country. Our 757 cargo plane has now arrived in Jamaica and distributions will begin soon.

Hurricane Melissa battered Jamaica as a deadly Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph. After several hours of catastrophic gusts and torrential rain, the storm cleared the island nation leaving serious damage in its wake.

Samaritan’s Purse continues to mobilize disaster relief specialists, emergency items, and multiple planes in order to quickly deliver relief in Jesus’ Name. A second airlift using our DC-8 is scheduled for Oct. 31.

We are flying in community water systems, shelter materials, household water filters, solar lights, hygiene kits, and other supplies. The community water systems can serve 10,000 people per day. We are in regular communication with more than 200 church partners on the ground in Jamaica.

News reports indicate there is extensive destruction on Jamaica, especially along the western half of the island. Homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals are badly damaged. Thousands are in emergency shelters, and more than three-quarters of the population are without power. Roads and bridges are washed out. Flash flooding and landslides have occurred in the mountains.

Melissa is the most powerful hurricane ever recorded to hit Jamaica. By wind speed, it is among the strongest hurricanes to ever strike the Atlantic Basin.

Please be in prayer for all those affected by Hurricane Melissa and for our teams as they bring physical aid and the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people in need.