Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28 in western Jamaica, striking with unprecedented force and leaving communities in chaos. Winds of up to 185 mph tore roofs from homes, shattered windows, and swept streets with water and debris, while downed power lines left thousands without electricity. The hardest-hit areas, including St. Elizabeth, St. Thomas, Westmoreland, Clarendon and Manchester, are still grappling with extensive damage to homes, schools and hospitals.
Delivering Aid in Southfield
In Southfield, a small farming community just up the coast from Treasure Beach, the destruction left by Hurricane Melissa is impressive. Roads were completely submerged and damaged, cutting the community off from the rest of the island, and homes have their roofs completely ripped off. Our teams, working alongside a local partner, delivered food supplies including rice, beans and applesauce for children, along with hygiene kits, toilet paper and flood lights to help families meet their most immediate needs. These essential items are providing relief and comfort in a community that has been left isolated and is now beginning the long journey toward recovery.
First on the Ground
All Hands & Hearts teams are on the ground in Jamaica, supporting communities hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa across St. James, St. Elizabeth and Manchester parishes. In many of these areas, we’ve been the first to arrive, where we’ve been delivering solar lights, water purification tablets and meal packs to help families regain access to light, clean water and food in this immediate, difficult time. Today, our teams are back out across St. Elizabeth Parish, Montego Bay and Black River, scaling up food and supply distributions through local hubs established yesterday. Working closely with local, community-based partners, we’re seeing firsthand how fishing, farming and small businesses have been devastated, and together, we’re identifying urgent needs such as debris removal and food distribution.
We’re also setting up Starlink connectivity hubs to help residents reconnect with loved ones and access critical information, while meeting with more and more community members to identify where mud and debris removal can begin as floodwaters start to recede. As our response grows, we are expanding relief operations and preparing for early recovery, helping families take the first steps toward rebuilding their lives.
Recovery shouldn’t take a lifetime.
The road to recovery after a storm like Hurricane Melissa will be long, but we know what it takes to rebuild. More than a year after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, our teams are still on the ground in Florida, standing beside families as they recover. We’ll do the same here in Jamaica and stay as long as it takes to help communities heal and rebuild.
Thank you for standing with AH&H as we work to keep families safe and supported through the months ahead.
Make a Difference
Your support makes this work possible. Please consider donating to help us continue providing critical relief to disaster-impacted communities. Together, we can make a difference.
Thank you for standing with communities in their greatest time of need.
