Date of publication: Monday 1 December 2025
Saturday 1 November 2025
Jamaican-Canadians rally to send relief after Hurricane Melissa devastates island
by Carolyne Bergeron
Jamaican-Canadians are rallying to send relief after Hurricane Melissa tore through the island on Oct. 28, leaving widespread devastation behind.
The hurricane unleashed catastrophic damage as the first Category 5 hurricane in the nation’s history. The storm battered the island for nearly twelve hours, lingering across several parishes and destroying almost everything in its path.
Severe damage has been reported across western parishes — including Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth and St. James — destroying hospitals, homes, schools and leaving roads to rural communities impassable. More than half a million people remain without power, and access to clean water and food is scarce.
The island has since been declared a disaster area under the Disaster Risk Management Act.
“The government’s first priority is always the safety and well-being of every Jamaican,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a public statement. “These orders give the government the tools to continue managing our response to Hurricane Melissa.”
For Tessannia Thompson, 21, who moved from Jamaica to Canada at age 10, the days following the hurricane have been filled with worry.
“I didn’t think it was serious until I saw Fox News was there,” Thompson said.
Since the hurricane warning was lifted, Thompson has learned that her family in Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Catherine are safe, but she has yet to hear from relatives in St. Elizabeth.
“It has been very hard not knowing what’s going on,” she said.
Towns like Black River and Santa Cruz in St. Elizabeth have been reduced to rubble as buildings were flattened and roads flooded, making the parish one of the hardest hit by the storm.
Houses in Black River, St. Elizabeth left damaged and roofless after the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Photograph by Kianna Robinson.
As recovery begins, members of the Jamaican diaspora in Canada have begun collecting donations, organizing fundraisers and preparing to send essential supplies back home.
The Jamaican High Commission in Ottawa and the Consulate General of Jamaica in Toronto are working closely with community organizations to coordinate relief efforts and connect Canadians to verified donation channels.
In addition to collecting non-perishable goods and monetary donations, a community relief concert is scheduled for Nov. 6 at the Jamaican Canadian Centre in Toronto, with proceeds going to families affected by Hurricane Melissa.
“There has been catastrophic devastation, but with all hands on deck and with all the support coming in, we believe we will be able to recover. We will recover and rebuild,” said Marsha Moore Lobban, Jamaica’s high commissioner to Canada, in an interview with CBC.
The Canadian government has also allocated a total of $7 million in humanitarian aid to support emergency relief and rebuilding efforts.
Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management is working with the United Nations and the Red Cross to assess damage and coordinate aid distribution.
Several countries, including the United States, Japan and Canada, have sent emergency relief supplies and rescue workers to assist local authorities.
“These natural disasters bring us together,” said David Betty, president of the Jamaican Canadian Association. “Hurricanes like Beryl last year and Gilbert [in 1988] have all caused us to rally and support our friends and family back home.”
Donations for relief efforts can be made through the Support Jamaica Relief Fund at supportjamaica.gov.jm or via local diaspora organizations across Canada, including the African, Caribbean & Black Wellness Resource Centre in Ottawa.
Carolyne Bergeron is a Jamaican-born journalist based in Ottawa. Passionate about storytelling, she writes about culture, community, and the intersection of identity and representation of marginalized communities.