Send Relief in Jamaica for Hurricane Mellisa response

By Hubert Yates

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph — one of the strongest hurricanes in Atlantic Basin history. The storm has devastated infrastructure, homes, hospitals, and schools, particularly in the Jamaican parishes of St Elizabeth, Manchester, Hanover, and St James. Montego Bay and surrounding areas are experiencing severe flooding, with rescues ongoing. Eastern Cuba has also been heavily impacted, with widespread evacuations and flooding. Haiti and the Bahamas also received significant rainfall, experienced major flash flooding, and landslides.

This is an International Response, and Send Relief is the lead responding entity, working in close coordination with their Area Director for the Americas and trusted local Baptist partners.

Jamaica/Caribbean
• Send Relief is partnering with the Jamaica Baptist Union Mission Agency and Caribbean Baptist Fellowship.
• A joint Florida Baptist Disaster Relief/Send Relief Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) deployed to Jamaica this past weekend to assist with needs assistance/response planning.
• Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief is also a Caribbean Response Partner with Send Relief and is on standby for additional deployment.
• The initial response will be in support of the Jamaica Baptist Union Mission Agency and the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship efforts.

Cuba
• Send Relief has released resources through national partners and deployed generators to strategic Baptist churches.
• Baptist On Mission/North Carolina Baptist Disaster Relief is supporting the response through coordination with Cuba’s trained Baptist DR network.
• No U.S. volunteers are currently being deployed to Cuba.

Haiti
• Due to current political instability, U.S. volunteer deployment is not possible at this time.
• Send Relief is working with Haitian Baptist churches and the Florida Baptist Convention’s Haitian Pastor Network to prepare for response.

How Mississippi Churches Can Assist
• Pray fervently for those affected and for our partners on the ground.
• Give generously to support the international response efforts. Gifts may be designated to MSBDR –Hurricane Melissa Response through checks (memo line), Church Giving Sheet (Pink Sheet), or through the online portal at https://mbcb.org/give/ and using the DR Fund Designation. Designated gifts will be forwarded to Send Relief and/or responding State Convention Disaster Relief organizations.
• Stay Ready. While no additional U.S. volunteers are being requested at this time, we encourage teams to remain prayerfully prepared should needs expand.