What is happening in Jamaica?
We are responding in the Caribbean after Hurricane Melissa swept across the region, leaving a trail of destruction – widespread flooding, landslides, and damage to homes.
Hurricane Melissa has slammed into Jamaica as a Category 5 storm – the strongest in 90 years. With sustained winds of 185 mph, the storm tore across the country for hours, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
Entire communities are flooded, hospitals damaged, and power is out across much of the island.
The Prime Minister has declared Jamaica a disaster area.
Thousands of people are sheltering in emergency centers, and many more are stranded or displaced. Roads are blocked, communications are down, and the full scale of the damage is still unfolding.
Right now, we don’t know the full extent of the damage. Early reports show severe flooding, power outages, and damage to homes, hospitals, and roads – especially in Jamaica, which took a direct hit from the strongest storm ever recorded there.
Haiti has also been hit hard, with deadly flooding and landslides. We’re also closely monitoring the situation in Haiti, Cuba, The Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos. The priority in these early stages will be search and rescue.
What is ShelterBox doing?
We’re sending an emergency response team to the Caribbean after Hurricane Melissa. Having a team in Jamaica will make it easier to understand the scale of the damage, what people need, and to continue coordinating with humanitarian partners and Rotary in the Caribbean.
We have emergency shelter aid pre-positioned in Barbados and Panama, enough to support up to 10,000 people. These include essentials like blankets, water carriers, mosquito nets, and solar lights. We are coordinating with humanitarian networks across the Caribbean to assess where our support is most needed. We’re working with humanitarian partners and sharing information to understand if and where our support could be needed, including with our long-standing partner Rotary in the Caribbean.
Communication networks are widely affected, making it harder to understand the true scale of the damage and coordinate a response. It’s important we take time to understand if, where, and how we may be able to support people.
As more information becomes available and local needs are met, a ShelterBox response may not be required.
How can I support people facing crisis?
Donate today – you can help us bring hope and relief to those who need it most. Every donation counts. Giving helps restore dignity, safety, and hope to those who have lost everything.
You can also stay informed and share on social media to raise awareness about the crisis people are facing in Jamaica.
Donate