By GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a devastating Class 5 storm, tied for the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricane in historical past. The lethal storm has additionally induced devastation in Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Cooks put together meals at a shelter arrange in a faculty forward of Hurricane Melissa’s forecast arrival in Previous Harbour, Jamaica, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Picture/Matias Delacroix)
Folks stroll alongside a street throughout the passing of Hurricane Melissa in Rocky Level, Jamaica, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Picture/Matias Delacroix)
Residents examine a home destroyed by Hurricane Melissa in a neighborhood of Santiago de Cuba on October 29, 2025. A strong Hurricane Melissa made landfall in japanese Cuba on Wednesday, inflicting injury and flooding to houses and streets in Santiago de Cuba province, an AFP crew on the bottom reported. (Picture by YAMIL LAGE / AFP) (Picture by YAMIL LAGE/AFP through Getty Photos)
A person seems at homes destroyed by Hurricane Melissa in a neighborhood of Santiago de Cuba on October 29, 2025. A strong Hurricane Melissa made landfall in japanese Cuba on Wednesday, inflicting injury and flooding to houses and streets in Santiago de Cuba province, an AFP crew on the bottom reported. (Picture by YAMIL LAGE / AFP) (Picture by YAMIL LAGE/AFP through Getty Photos)
A person stands outdoors his house destroyed by Hurricane Melissa in Santiago de Cuba on October 29, 2025. A strong Hurricane Melissa made landfall in japanese Cuba on Wednesday, inflicting injury and flooding to houses and streets in Santiago de Cuba province, an AFP crew on the bottom reported. (Picture by YAMIL LAGE / AFP) (Picture by YAMIL LAGE/AFP through Getty Photos)
A driver tries to take away his automobile from a flooded space after heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Melissa within the city of San Miguel de Parada, Santiago de Cuba province, on October 29, 2025. A strong Hurricane Melissa made landfall in japanese Cuba on Wednesday, inflicting injury and flooding to houses and streets in Santiago de Cuba province, an AFP crew on the bottom reported. (Picture by YAMIL LAGE / AFP) (Picture by YAMIL LAGE/AFP through Getty Photos)
A person walks via a flooded road in a neighborhood affected by Hurricane Melissa in Santiago de Cuba on October 29, 2025. A strong Hurricane Melissa made landfall in japanese Cuba on Wednesday, inflicting injury and flooding to houses and streets in Santiago de Cuba province, an AFP crew on the bottom reported. (Picture by YAMIL LAGE / AFP) (Picture by YAMIL LAGE/AFP through Getty Photos)
A lady walks on rubble left following the passage of Hurricane Melissa following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth, Jamaica on October 29, 2025. Hurricane Melissa ripped up timber and knocked out energy after making landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025 as some of the highly effective hurricanes on report, inundating the island nation with rains that threaten flash floods and landslides. (Picture by Ricardo MAKYN / AFP) (Picture by RICARDO MAKYN/AFP through Getty Photos)
Rollin Salmond makes use of {an electrical} noticed to chop sections of a tree blocking the doorway to his house in Longwood, St Elizabeth, Jamaica on October 29, 2025. Hurricane Melissa ripped up timber and knocked out energy after making landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025 as some of the highly effective hurricanes on report, inundating the island nation with rains that threaten flash floods and landslides. (Picture by Ricardo MAKYN / AFP) (Picture by RICARDO MAKYN/AFP through Getty Photos)
A lady salvages belongings from the rubble of her house after it collapsed throughout Hurricane Melissa’s passage via Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, on October 29, 2025. A strong Hurricane Melissa made landfall in japanese Cuba on Wednesday, inflicting injury and flooding to houses and streets in Santiago de Cuba province, an AFP crew on the bottom reported. (Picture by YAMIL LAGE / AFP) (Picture by YAMIL LAGE/AFP through Getty Photos)
A household salvages belongings from the rubble of their house after it collapsed throughout Hurricane Melissa’s passage via Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, on October 29, 2025. A strong Hurricane Melissa made landfall in japanese Cuba on Wednesday, inflicting injury and flooding to houses and streets in Santiago de Cuba province, an AFP crew on the bottom reported. (Picture by YAMIL LAGE / AFP) (Picture by YAMIL LAGE/AFP through Getty Photos)
Folks clear a road after the passing of the tropical storm Melissa earlier than changing into a hurricane in Barahona, Dominican Republic on October 28, 2025. (Picture by Carlos FABAL / AFP) (Picture by CARLOS FABAL/AFP through Getty Photos)
TOPSHOT – Residents wait within the streets for meals hours earlier than Hurricane Melissa hits the town of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, on October 28, 2025. (Picture by YAMIL LAGE / AFP) (Picture by YAMIL LAGE/AFP through Getty Photos)
A pair leaves their flooded home after the passing of the tropical storm Melissa earlier than changing into a hurricane at Las Cucarachas neighborhood in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on October 28, 2025. (Picture by Danny Polanco / AFP) (Picture by DANNY POLANCO/AFP through Getty Photos)
A person seems at a fallen tree in St. Catherine, Jamaica, shortly earlier than Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025. Ferocious winds and torrential rain tore into Jamaica Tuesday as Hurricane Melissa made landfall, the worst storm ever to strike the island nation and some of the highly effective hurricanes on report. The extraordinarily violent Class 5 system was nonetheless crawling throughout the Caribbean, promising catastrophic floods and life-threatening circumstances as most sustained winds reached a staggering 185 miles per hour (295 kilometers per hour). (Picture by Ricardo Makyn / AFP) (Picture by RICARDO MAKYN/AFP through Getty Photos)
TOPSHOT – A soldier helps evacuate an aged lady to a safe location forward of the arrival of Hurricane Melissa at Siboney seashore, in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, on October 28, 2025. Hurricane Melissa was set to strike close by japanese finish of Cuba late Tuesday after pummeling Jamaica. (Picture by YAMIL LAGE / AFP) (Picture by YAMIL LAGE/AFP through Getty Photos)
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Cooks put together meals at a shelter arrange in a faculty forward of Hurricane Melissa’s forecast arrival in Previous Harbour, Jamaica, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Picture/Matias Delacroix)
Broaden
The world remains to be studying the extent of the destruction, however reduction organizations are already mobilizing to assist throughout the northern Caribbean.
As is typical in disasters, nonprofit teams advised The Related Press that money is one of the best ways to assist, since unsolicited items donations can overwhelm already strained programs. Consultants suggest utilizing websites like Charity Navigator or the Higher Enterprise Bureau’s Clever Giving Alliance to take a look at unfamiliar charities earlier than donating.
Right here is a few of the work being achieved and methods to assist individuals impacted by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti and past.
Locals supporting locals: United Approach of Jamaica
The 40-year-old nonprofit has a historical past of supporting Jamaicans after disasters, particularly the nation’s farmers.
Final yr, United Approach of Jamaica mobilized assist for feminine farmers hit arduous by Hurricane Beryl, serving to them substitute farm tools, restore roofs, and pay tuition charges for his or her youngsters proper as the varsity yr started.
The Kingston-based group accepts money donations.
Doubling your {dollars}: American Buddies of Jamaica
AFJ has donated to Jamaican charitable organizations since 1982, supporting schooling, financial improvement and well being care. Its catastrophe reduction fund helped restore practically 800 roofs after Hurricane Beryl, in line with the group.
The New York-based group is presently matching donations to its Catastrophe Reduction Fund, as much as $1 million.
Quick money: GiveDirectly
GiveDirectly will ship emergency money on to Jamaica households.
The nonprofit despatched households impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton $1,000 final yr, utilizing AI to pinpoint the worst impacted areas and making quick digital transfers.
The New York-based group is attempting to lift $1 million and is accepting money donations.
Quick reduction: CORE and lots of extra
CORE ‘s native employees is already responding in Haiti and can arrive in Jamaica when airports reopen to ship reduction objects like hygiene kits and tarps, conduct medical assessments an distribute money help. The group may also assist households take away particles and rebuild houses.
The Los Angeles-based nonprofit is accepting money donations to its Emergency Response Fund. Its board of administrators is matching as much as $200,000.
There are a bunch of different humanitarian organizations deployed or within the strategy of reaching the northern Caribbean, together with Convoy of Hope, Mercy Corps, World Imaginative and prescient, Catholic Reduction Providers, Mission HOPE, CARE, International Empowerment Mission, World Meals Program USA and Americares.
Putting in backup energy programs: Footprint Mission
The solar-energy nonprofit provides communities and first responders with short-term energy tools to help their response and restore communications.
Footprint Mission is transport 150 moveable photo voltaic and battery energy stations and deploying cell microgrid tools, working with native companions like Jamaica Renewable Power Affiliation to make sure the programs are deployed the place they’re most wanted.
Medical help: Direct Reduction
The humanitarian group helps the Caribbean yr spherical with medicines and different provides, and has delivered greater than $3 million in medical help within the final month to areas now beneath risk.
Direct Reduction will assist well being amenities, a lot of which it says are in coastal and low-lying areas susceptible to flooding and energy outages. The group additionally despatched 100 field-medic packs for Jamaica’s Nationwide Well being Fund, and is working with the Pan American Well being Group on provides for Cuba.
The Santa Barbara, California-based group is accepting money donations. All contributions particularly designated for “Hurricane Melissa” will go on to these efforts.
Transport provides and logistics: Good360 and Airlink
Good360 connects company donors who’ve surplus, high-quality provides with nonprofits that want these objects. It would associate with native teams to ship what’s wanted, anticipating demand for mills, tarps and hygiene kits.
Good360 is accepting money donations to assist supply of those provides.
Airlink works with main airways like United and American, utilizing additional cargo house to assist humanitarian organizations transfer help to catastrophe zones.
It’s transferring cargo to Haiti and Jamaica on behalf of 16 NGOs and discovering options for transferring provides on the bottom when many roads are blocked or washed out.
The Washington, D.C.-based group accepts money and crypto donations and donations of frequent flyer miles.
Lengthy-term restoration: Middle for Catastrophe Philanthropy
Whereas the rapid wants shall be huge, CDP focuses on long-term restoration, an usually underfunded side of catastrophe response.
The group will give grants to native organizations which are most in tune with the wants, specializing in probably the most at-risk residents and emphasizing options that depart communities higher ready for future local weather occasions.
The Washington, D.C.-based group is accepting money donations to its Atlantic Hurricane Season Restoration Fund.
