Tarps, Shelter Materials and an Airlift: A Christian Charity Readies Help as Melissa Leaves Jamaica

• Samaritan’s Purse put disaster teams on standby for Jamaica
• Supplies included shelter materials, tarps, water systems and solar lights
• Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with 185mph winds
• The charity had previously responded to Dorian in The Bahamas

The international Christian relief organisation Samaritan’s Purse placed disaster response teams and supplies on standby for Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa moved across the island, the Jamaica Observer reported on October 30, 2025.

Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour before weakening to Category 3 as it left Jamaica’s north coast and headed for Cuba. From its headquarters in North Carolina, the charity said it was preparing to airlift community water systems, shelter materials, solar lights and medical equipment.

“We are loading a lot of tarp, non-food items to be able to help the people of the area,” said Damion Tripp, the organisation’s medical operations manager. “We are also loading supplies for our airlift programme.” He added: “We ask that you pray for the people of Jamaica, pray for their safety, their health, their wellbeing.”

The group has worked in the region before, including in The Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian and in Haiti after major earthquakes.

The first items on the charity’s list tell their own story about what a major hurricane does to housing. Tarpaulins and shelter materials are the emergency bridge between a lost roof and a rebuilt one. In the days after a storm, a sheet of heavy plastic properly secured can keep rain out of a house, protect furniture and stop water damage from spreading into walls and floors.

For homeowners and property owners abroad with houses in Jamaica, the practical lesson is that the gap between the storm and permanent repair can be long. Keeping photographs of the property, insurance papers and a list of trusted local builders, and making sure a family member can get temporary cover on the roof quickly, can make a significant difference to the final repair bill.

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