Hurricane Melissa, an unprecedented storm
Hurricane Melissa struck southwestern Jamaica violently on 28 October. Described as a “monster,” it is one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the region.
In view of the scale of the damage and the severity of the humanitarian situation, Jamaican authorities issued an international appeal for assistance. PIRAC and its emergency response team answered the call by deploying equipment and humanitarian experts to support relief operations.
Feared for its potential impact, Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica with extreme force. Winds reaching nearly 300 km/h, torrential rainfall, and a storm surge of almost four meters devastated the island. Several localities were flooded, roads cut off, and essential infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, and water networks severely damaged. Thousands of households were left without water, electricity, or safe shelter. Given the extent of the damage, authorities declared the entire country a “disaster area.”
The Jamaican Red Cross opened shelters to accommodate the most vulnerable families, the majority of whom were women and children. Mobilized even before the storm made landfall, volunteers distributed hygiene kits, tarpaulins, and blankets, with the support of the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Hurricane Melissa strikes an already fragile country
The population has been doubly affected. Communities were only beginning to recover from Hurricane Beryl, which struck just 16 months ago and devastated agricultural and fishing areas.
“At the moment, we are operating at full capacity,” explains Horace Glance, Deputy Director of Operations of the Jamaican Red Cross. “All staff were mobilized nearly a week before Melissa made landfall. Everyone is on deck, all systems are ready.”
“We have never experienced such a violent hurricane. The winds, landslides, and coastal flooding are of an exceptional scale,” he adds.
PIRAC mobilizes
In response to the call for assistance, PIRAC is deploying human resources and equipment. This operation aims to support the Jamaican Red Cross in its relief efforts and to strengthen local response capacities.
It is structured around three main components:
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The shipment, with the support of a vessel from the French Armed Forces in the Caribbean, of 500 emergency kits containing essential items (hygiene supplies, shelter materials, cleaning tools, kitchen utensils, etc.) to meet the immediate needs of affected households;
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The deployment of a water treatment unit, in coordination with the Jamaican Ministry of Health and Wellness and national and regional WASH clusters, to ensure rapid access to safe drinking water;
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The deployment of specialized human resources, including two PIRAC staff members and a water treatment technical expert deployed in partnership with the Veolia Foundation, to support logistics operations, drinking water production, and on-the-ground coordination. Additional reinforcements are planned to further strengthen teams in the field.
A regional crisis with devastating effects
Hurricane Melissa does not threaten Jamaica alone. Strong winds and heavy rainfall have also affected Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Melissa is currently moving toward Bermuda.
Already weakened by poverty, inequality, and recent disasters, these countries are seeing their vulnerabilities deepen.
Climate change is intensifying these shocks: while disasters may affect everyone, their consequences are not experienced equally. The most vulnerable groups—women, children, displaced people, Indigenous communities, families living in poverty or facing violence—are those who suffer the most from the impacts of hurricanes.
To learn more about our emergency response:
Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica: after the storm, the water crisis
This operation was funded by the Crisis and Support Centre (CDCS) of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the French Red Cross. It was carried out in partnership with the Jamaica Red Cross, the IFRC, the Veolia Foundation, the French Armed Forces in the Caribbean, and the Embassy of France in Jamaica.
