Hurricane Melissa has exploded into a rare Category 5 storm with 175 mph winds. The National Hurricane Center warns this could be the strongest hurricane to directly strike Jamaica in recorded history, and the strongest storm to hit Earth this year. The coming days and weeks will be critical for communities in Hurricane Melissa's path.
On Tuesday, October 28, Category 5 Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica's southwestern coast with sustained winds of 185 mph, becoming the most powerful hurricane on record to hit the country. It brought catastrophic and life-threatening flash floods, landslides, destructive winds, and widespread damage to infrastructure, power, and communications.
We know that communities themselves are the first responders during major emergencies. We work in partnership with trusted local organizations that have deep community knowledge and can act immediately. We anticipate the most immediate needs to be clean water, jerry cans and chlorine tablets, shelter, including tarps, and emergency cash assistance to help families meet their urgent needs. Your gift will go where it is needed most as we work across 35+ countries.
Mercy Corps is also ready to respond directly in southern Haiti, where our teams have been helping communities prepare for hurricanes like Melissa. Our preparedness efforts in Haiti include: Reaching more than 40,000 people through disaster preparedness training, mobile early warning systems, community safe spaces, and drills. Supporting 7,100 farmers with climate-smart agriculture to protect crops and incomes. Strengthening 900 small and medium businesses across three regions to store
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