Hurricane Melissa has devastated multiple countries in the Atlantic, hitting Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the Bahamas, and more. On October 30, it is expected to make landfall in Bermuda. While the full extent of the damage remains unclear, according to NBC News, over 30 people have been killed across the Caribbean.
After Melissa struck Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane with 185 mph winds, officials stated on Wednesday that Black River, a town located on Jamaica’s southwestern coast, was among the most severely impacted. Jamaica’s police force said the Black River Hospital was “totally devastated” and all emergency response units were rendered immobile due to flooding. In the same video statement, they said the nearby facility storing relief supplies was wiped out.
That day, Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s education, skills, youth, and information minister, said approximately 77 percent of the country was without electricity.
In Cuba, according to the Associated Press, officials reported destroyed homes and blocked roads on Wednesday. About 735,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm and are in shelters.
To help those affected, we need to support communities in managing climate disasters. There are several Jamaican organizations that are doing relief work:
- Food for the Poor Jamaica, a nonprofit providing food, medicine, shelter, and other services, is accepting donations as part of its Hurricane Relief Fund.
- The Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation builds schools and provides education programs to support youth.
- Dar Al Islam is taking hurricane emergency relief donations to provide hot meals, clean water, and emergency supplies to survivors. They are also asking for volunteers to help with meal delivery and community support.
The government of Jamaica is also taking contributions. Among their immediate needs as of October 27 include bedding, batteries, water purification kits, debris clearance machinery, health supplies, and farming tools.
UNICEF is also providing emergency assistance and is prioritizing water, sanitation, and hygiene, as well as nutrition support. UNICEF USA is accepting monetary donations here.
The extensive damage is due in significant part to rapid intensification, where Melissa escalated from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in roughly 18 hours just before it made landfall. James Done, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, told Teen Vogue in 2021 that the quick changes make forecasting and preparing for storms more challenging.
When Hurricane Dorian struck the Bahamas in 2019, Samantha Montano, an associate professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, wrote in Teen Vogue that these relief efforts fit within the larger movement to mitigate climate change. To assist further, Montano points to volunteering, voting, and direct action.
