"Aid Rushes in to Devastated Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa Leaves Trail of Destruction"
Tens of thousands of Jamaicans are still sheltering from the storm, with nearly three-quarters of the island's homes and businesses left without power. The Category 5 hurricane that made landfall on the Caribbean nation has claimed at least four lives.
The full extent of the damage is only starting to come to light, but officials say that over 130 roads remain blocked by debris, and the entire country is "really broken" according to Jamaican Minister of Education Dana Dixon. She described the scale of devastation as "unprecedented".
But despite the enormity of the disaster, many are stepping up to help. In Key West, Florida, a team of military veterans with search and rescue experience from Project DYNAMO are working tirelessly to deliver supplies to those in need.
"We have Americans who are in trouble," said James Judge, team leader for Project DYNAMO. "They're in a very bad area right now. They're experiencing arguably the worst experience of their life." The group is also providing flights home for stranded Americans.
At the Global Empowerment Mission, near Miami, volunteers like Shanna Ford are packing up basic supplies such as food, water and tarps to help people survive. Ford, who has family in Jamaica, described seeing her homeland "in trouble" as a source of deep concern.
"It was just really nerve-wracking for me to see that happening to the island that I know and love," she said. Ford's father rode out the storm in Kingston, and she fears about his safety.
The Global Empowerment Mission says Florida's close ties to Jamaica have led to a surge of volunteers. "We have the second-largest Jamaican diaspora community in south Florida," explained Michael Capponi, president of the organization. "If you're Jamaican, you cannot just sit home and watch this on the news. So they're all here coming every hour."
As the international community rallies to support Jamaica, officials are working to assess the full extent of the damage and provide aid to those in need.
Tens of thousands of Jamaicans are still sheltering from the storm, with nearly three-quarters of the island's homes and businesses left without power. The Category 5 hurricane that made landfall on the Caribbean nation has claimed at least four lives.
The full extent of the damage is only starting to come to light, but officials say that over 130 roads remain blocked by debris, and the entire country is "really broken" according to Jamaican Minister of Education Dana Dixon. She described the scale of devastation as "unprecedented".
But despite the enormity of the disaster, many are stepping up to help. In Key West, Florida, a team of military veterans with search and rescue experience from Project DYNAMO are working tirelessly to deliver supplies to those in need.
"We have Americans who are in trouble," said James Judge, team leader for Project DYNAMO. "They're in a very bad area right now. They're experiencing arguably the worst experience of their life." The group is also providing flights home for stranded Americans.
At the Global Empowerment Mission, near Miami, volunteers like Shanna Ford are packing up basic supplies such as food, water and tarps to help people survive. Ford, who has family in Jamaica, described seeing her homeland "in trouble" as a source of deep concern.
"It was just really nerve-wracking for me to see that happening to the island that I know and love," she said. Ford's father rode out the storm in Kingston, and she fears about his safety.
The Global Empowerment Mission says Florida's close ties to Jamaica have led to a surge of volunteers. "We have the second-largest Jamaican diaspora community in south Florida," explained Michael Capponi, president of the organization. "If you're Jamaican, you cannot just sit home and watch this on the news. So they're all here coming every hour."
As the international community rallies to support Jamaica, officials are working to assess the full extent of the damage and provide aid to those in need.
... it's crazy that tens of thousands are affected like that! 3/4 of homes & businesses are without power, imagine having no electricity or water for days on end 
And the Global Empowerment Mission is doing incredible work too, packing up basic essentials like food & tarps 
Shanna's story about her family in Jamaica being affected is heartbreaking 
It just goes to show how quickly a disaster can bring people together in support of one another 
Now let's hope the international community keeps pouring in aid & we can start seeing some progress soon 
I'm really worried about the people stuck without power or shelter. It's like, they're just trying to survive, you know? And the roads are blocked everywhere... it's a nightmare 
... like, what's wrong with these folks? The US is already dealing with its own issues, why are they sending resources to Jamaica now? 
It's all just a big PR stunt for the Global Empowerment Mission to get more funding and attention. And what about the environmental impact of shipping in all this aid? It's gonna make things worse out there... 
I mean, who wouldn't want to help out a friend in need? The fact that it's Americans showing up to save the day is just... interesting 
. I guess when you're not stuck in traffic on the 405, you can actually make a difference 
. But seriously, it's great to see people stepping up to help those affected by Hurricane Melissa. It's always nice to see humans being kind for once 
. I'm sure Jamaican officials are just thrilled to have their country "really broken" all over the news 
...
And what about all these volunteers who are actually from Jamaica but still think they know better than the Jamaican government? 
but at the same time, isnt that kinda weird? like why r they there if its their own country? just wondering 
at least the americans r doing their part with project dynamo & global empowerment mission, sending supplies & helping those stranded...but i wish more ppl could help...jamaica's a beautiful island & now it's suffering so much 
gotta keep fingers crossed for everyone affected, stay safe & get through this together 
maybe we should've seen this coming? 
? And what about the Global Empowerment Mission? Sounds like a front to me 
. And what about the government's response? Slow as molasses, if you ask me 
. I'm not saying anything bad, but something don't add up here 
also idk about the volunteers coming from south florida who are basically saying "hey i know someone there lets me just drop everything" it sounds like they're taking advantage of their connections lol.
I mean, it's like they're literally crying out for help and people are stepping up to give it to them! The military veterans from Project DYNAMO are doing some amazing work over there, and the Global Empowerment Mission is packing up all these essentials to get people through this tough time.
. But at the same time, it's amazing to see all these good Samaritans stepping up to help, like those military veterans from Project DYNAMO and volunteers at the Global Empowerment Mission