Overview
Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica in the early afternoon, Oct. 28, as a deadly Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph. The island nation bore the brunt of the catastrophic storm—the most powerful storm on record to ever hit the country—with extreme storm surge, high winds, and torrential rain. This triggered flash flooding and landslides.
Thousands of people remain in shelters, and the majority of the island is still without power. Since the hurricane struck, we have airlifted about 100 tons of emergency supplies to the island nation, including shelter materials, hygiene kits, solar lights, community water filtration systems, blankets, and more.
Please be in prayer for all those affected by this major storm—the strongest on the planet this year.
Latest Updates
- Samaritan’s Purse airlifted our Emergency Field Hospital to Jamaica and opened it on 5 November in the devastated coastal town of Black River. Four total airlifts so far have brought 100 tons of relief to the island.
- More relief flights are planned. Distributions are beginning to provide survivors with water, shelter, hygiene items, solar lights, and other supplies.
- Many areas remain cut off by severed roads and bridges. More than half a million people remain without power.
