Standing Together After Hurricane Melissa — What’s Next
February 04, 2026
After Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on October 28, 2025, ADRA’s supporters have made a difference for those affected. We have been deeply moved by the outpouring of support from our donors; thousands of you responded with generosity and compassion, standing in solidarity with people affected by this disaster. Your donations—which reached an outstanding $93,493.13—have already helped provide vital assistance and have shown that when communities come together, hope can take root even in the hardest times.
At this stage in the response, the special Hurricane Melissa appeal for Jamaica is now closed. This means we are no longer accepting donations designated specifically for Jamaica. We are incredibly grateful for your contributions and we have been humbled by your generosity. Please know that every gift has helped make a meaningful difference in response and recovery efforts. Together, we’ve made a significant impact on our response and recovery efforts, and we look forward to continuing to rebuild and emerge stronger.
Although we have reached the point where dedicated funds for Jamaica are no longer being accepted, there are still ways to make an impact. If you would still like to support humanitarian work, we invite you to consider donating to ADRA Canada’s Emergency Response Fund, which supports rapid, life-saving action around the world when disasters strike.
Why Give to the Emergency Response Fund?
Natural disasters and humanitarian crises can happen at any time and in many places. Around the world, emergencies like earthquakes, floods, conflicts, and storms continue to affect millions of lives, often with little warning.
By contributing to the Emergency Response Fund:
- Your donation is ready to deploy immediately when the next crisis hits.
- ADRA can pre-position resources and support local partners more quickly.
- You help ensure that families in need receive food, water, shelter, medical care, and protection with urgency and dignity.
Your past support has been a beacon of hope, and your future gifts, even now that the Hurricane Melissa appeal has closed, will help make sure we are prepared for the next emergency.
Thank You
From all of us at ADRA Canada, thank you for your generosity, your compassion, and your commitment to helping the most vulnerable. Whether you’ve given to Hurricane Melissa relief, shared our message with others, or stood with us in prayer, your support has made a lasting impact.
Together, we will continue answering the call to serve wherever and whenever help is needed next.
ADRA Responds to Urgent Water and Hygiene Needs After Hurricane Melissa
December 17, 2025

In the weeks since Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm in October, recovery efforts continue amid growing public health concerns. The storm caused widespread flooding and damage to homes, infrastructure, and water systems, leaving many families without reliable access to safe drinking water. As floodwaters recede, Jamaican health authorities have declared an outbreak of leptospirosis, a serious bacterial disease linked to contaminated water and soil.
In response to these urgent needs, ADRA is supporting some of the hardest-hit communities, including St. Elizabeth, by improving access to safe water and hygiene supplies. A door-to-door needs assessment found that most households identified clean water as their most urgent unmet need. Based on these findings, ADRA Jamaica has been working to provide 200 households with 200-gallon water storage tanks and distribute 400 family hygiene kits to vulnerable families, prioritizing larger households and those with limited access to water.
Beyond meeting immediate needs to protect families from disease, this response is designed to support longer-term recovery. ADRA Canada continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Jamaica as communities work to rebuild and restore safe living conditions. Your support makes it possible to respond swiftly, protect vulnerable families, and help lay the foundation for healthier, more resilient communities in the aftermath of disaster.
Communities in Canada Step Up for Jamaica
November 17, 2025

Together, We Continue to Bring Hope After Hurricane Melissa
November 03, 2025
ADRA has been able to respond quickly, providing cash assistance to those most affected.
ADRA International has mobilized a physical presence in Jamaica through Emergency Response Teams, and they have been working around the clock to prepare the food kit distributions.
ADRA plans to respond to Hurricane Melissa
October 30, 2025
ADRA has activated a National Emergency Management Plan in Jamaica to help survivors in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. In times like these, we need generous and compassionate people to make a real difference.
Despite the likely comparisons to last year’s Hurricane Beryl, most authorities are calling the recent damage on the island “unprecedented.” This is particularly haunting because the exact same language was used about Beryl last year. Melissa’s destruction coming this late in the year really punctuates last year’s warning about the increasing severity and duration of hurricane season in the Caribbean. Hurricane Beryl struck unusually early in June of 2024, while Hurricane Melissa arrived just shy of November 2025.
The time to act is now. In response to Beryl last year, the ADRA network provided $110,000 (USD) in aid to help people rebuild their lives. ADRA Canada is prepared to once again support the delivery of lifesaving assistance to survivors and families. But as “natural disasters” begin to look increasingly unnatural, we all must begin to think bigger—to consider how to help those most geographically vulnerable to adapt to the intensifying pangs of nature destabilized.
To many people around the world, the nation of Jamaica is best known for joy, music, and celebration. Please help us restore joy and hope to people who have lost so much.
Hurricane Melissa devastates the Caribbean.
October 28, 2025
Hurricane Melissa made landfall on the island of Jamaica on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. The violent category 5 hurricane was the most intense tropical cyclone to strike the island nation in the last two centuries. The situation for many local survivors is terrifying, and at least five people on the island are already confirmed dead.
Melissa left devastation and destruction in its wake, with trees uprooted from the ground and houses torn apart. The damage has been especially bad in the western portions of the island, but communities across the country have been flooded and left without power. There are roughly 530,000 people currently without electricity.
Because of these power outages, many Jamaicans outside of the country have struggled to establish contact with family members who may have survived the storm. With nearly 15,000 people currently staying in shelters, there is a palpable sense of dread and uncertainty for many. The trouble isn’t quite over either. Flood waters caused by the hurricane were experienced in nearby Haiti, and the storm is continuing onward towards Cuba and parts of the Bahamas.