Supporting Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa

I grew up in California, where natural disasters arrived without warning. Earthquake drills were part of school life — duck under the desk, hold on, wait it out. There was never a countdown, never preparation, never time to anticipate. Earthquakes simply happen. So when I went to the University of Pennsylvania and experienced Hurricane Gloria in September 1985 during my freshman year, it was my first introduction to the build-up of a storm. Gloria was described then as the “storm of the century,” the first major hurricane to directly threaten the Northeast in decades. There were announcements for days: It’s forming. It’s strengthening. It’s moving north. And yet, by the time Gloria reached Philadelphia, it had weakened to heavy rain — torrential, joyful, dramatic rain. The campus quad flooded into shallow rivers, the kind you splash through without care. I remember being outside in my flip-flops and raincoat, laughing with new friends, dancing in the downpour. It was my first East Coast hurricane — and it felt like adventure, like belonging, like the beginning of a life unfolding. But storms aren’t always like that. A few years later, I was living in San Francisco when the Loma Prieta earthquake struck on October 17, 1989 — the night of the World Series between the Giants and the A’s. It was my roommate’s birthday. Mine was the next day. We were supposed to go out to dinner. Instead, the ground convulsed. A magnitude 6.9 earthquake. The Bay Bridge collapse. Buildings damaged. The city stunned. The timing of the World Series meant many people were already home watching the game — an odd grace that prevented further loss. That night, instead of celebrating, we were outside with neighbors, lighting candles on the street because the power was out, checking in on each other. Sharing what we had. Making sure everyone was accounted for. That is where I learned something I still believe: Disaster reveals community. We help who is in front of us. Start where you are.

Years later, working for Club Med in Eleuthera, Bahamas, I felt that truth again when Hurricane Bertha approached in July 1996. We threw the pool furniture into the pool so it wouldn’t become airborne. We taped windows. I walked the property to reassure guests — speaking Spanish as steadily as I could, even as I was afraid myself. And then came the announcement: The airport is closed. No one leaves now. There is a very specific kind of stillness when an island is your whole world and the storm is coming to meet it. You face it together.

Last week, while sailing west of Hurricane Melissa on the NCL Escape, I felt that memory return. I watched as the storm approached, airports closed, and communities braced. I remembered the feeling of not knowing. And I remembered the feeling of what comes after. Because storms end — and rebuilding begins. And Jamaica is already rebuilding. With strength. With community. With partnership.

Click to see post by Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals Resorts, about Jamaica

 

Two organizations I trust are already on the ground providing relief:

Sandals Foundation — Hurricane Melissa Relief Mission

The philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts, The Sandals Foundation, has activated its Hurricane Melissa Relief Mission with one hundred percent (100%) of every dollar going directly to the organization’s emergency response efforts. Working hand-in-hand with on-the-ground officials across Jamaica to help those most in need. Make a donation at www.sandalsfoundation.org and select ‘Relief Mission’. No donation is too small. Every contribution makes a meaningful difference and helps families and communities recover. Created in 2009, The Sandals Foundation, a 501(c)-(3) non-profit organization, is dedicated to positively impacting the lives and communities across the Caribbean, under three key pillars: the environment, community, and education. Donate: www.sandalsfoundation.org → Relief Mission No donation is too small. Every act of giving becomes part of rebuilding. I have personally seen and written about the Sandals Foundation and stayed with both Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts in Jamaica and Turks and Caicos. Read my article about Sandals Foundation here and see some of their incredible properties in my article here. More about Montego Bay, Beaches Turks and Caicos, and serenity in the islands.

Sandals Foundation on Instagram

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IsraAID is deploying an Emergency Response Team to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa struck Tuesday, causing devastation across the region. Our team will focus on safe water, hygiene and sanitation supplies, and psychosocial support for affected communities.https://t.co/DKj5R4dGM0 pic.twitter.com/8yrJx3GpE4

— IsraAID (@IsraAID) October 30, 2025

IsraAID

IsraAID, an Israeli humanitarian relief organization that responds to crises around the globe is already in Jamaica coordinating relief, delivering immediate support, and planning long-term recovery efforts. They are known for showing up early — and staying long after the headlines move on. I was fortunate to hear a presentation about their incredible work at my synagogue, Stephen Wise Temple. From the Jamaica Observer, “The damage we’re seeing from Hurricane Melissa is devastating, and IsraAID is committed to standing with affected communities at this critical moment,” said Michal Bar, IsraAID’s senior director of emergency operations. “Communities in southwest Jamaica were severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl just last year and are now experiencing destruction on a whole new scale.” Bar added that IsraAID would work closely with local partners to assess urgent needs and support access to clean water, hygiene supplies, and child protection services. Donate: https://www.israaid.org/donate/

Noa Tishby about IsraAID on Twitter:

Israel is sending help to Jamaica. @IsraAID is deploying an emergency team to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa (the strongest storm ever to hit the country) bringing clean water, sanitation, and mental health support to devastated communities. pic.twitter.com/rpXwmFtqGW

— Noa Tishby (@noatishby) October 30, 2025

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When I was a freshman dancing in the rain, I didn’t yet understand storms. Now I know: Storms change us. But so does how we show up afterward. Jamaica is strong. And strength grows when we show up for one another. If you’re wondering how to help — just start where you are.