Assistance Following Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica

After Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on Tuesday, the State Department is dispatching a team to aid in disaster response efforts, anticipating arrival as soon as Thursday.

The State Department has announced the deployment of the Regional Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and will also activate the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team based in the U.S. to bolster local initiatives post-Hurricane Melissa.

According to a senior State Department official on Wednesday, the team is set to land in Jamaica on Thursday, as the airport sustained no significant damage. However, they are coordinating with the Army Department regarding potential airlift operations if commercial flights can’t resume.

The State Department has also asked the Army for airlift support to deliver essential items like food and water to those affected across the island.

In parallel, another disaster relief team is expected to begin aid efforts in Haiti on Thursday. Officials noted that the Bahamas is likely to request a humanitarian declaration later that day, which would enable the State Department to send a disaster relief team there by Friday.

Additionally, nearly $1 million has been authorized by the State Department to manage food supplies and other resources from warehouses located in various spots across the region, including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, and Miami.

“We’re deploying a disaster assistance team to ensure effective coordination of U.S. support, while also standing up resources for Americans in the area,” State Department Spokesman Tommy Piggott stated.

Hurricane Melissa, classified as a top Category 5 storm, was notably the most powerful hurricane recorded in Kingston in 174 years of tracking storms.

Jamaica has confirmed at least one fatality as a result of the hurricane, which has caused extensive damage, leaving much of the population without power. Education Minister Dana Morris-Dixon mentioned that about 77% of the island is currently experiencing power outages.

Moreover, over 25,000 individuals are seeking refuge in evacuation centers, having lost their homes to the storm.

As the hurricane continues towards Cuba as a Category 2 storm, other Caribbean nations—including the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Turks and Caicos Islands—are expected to feel its effects.

Desmond McKenzie, vice-chairman of the Jamaica Disaster Risk Management Council, remarked, “It will not be an easy road, Jamaica.”