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Hurricane Melissa plowed through the Caribbean on Tuesday as an enormous Category 5 storm, knocking out power lines, flooding hospitals, and killing dozens of people in its path.
Already, the damage has been catastrophic. In Haiti, at least 23 people have died, the highest death toll so far, many from flash flooding after the storm caused a river to burst over its banks on the country’s southern coast. And in Jamaica, where the storm made landfall at peak strength on Tuesday, the damage could amount to $22 billion, Accuweather predicted, more than the country’s entire GDP. At least four people were killed in Jamaica as of 5 pm ET on Wednesday.
The hurricane, one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic, is forecast to make landfall in the Bahamas tonight as a weakened but still perilous Category 2 storm.
These countries need our help now, and even more critically, in the years-long road to recovery ahead.
If you’re someone who wants to make the most impact with your money, consider donating beyond crisis funds that fly in foreign rescue teams or only focus on food and water in the disaster’s immediate aftermath. The unfortunate reality is that by the time a disaster like this strikes, it’s often too late for your money to really move the needle on search-and-rescue efforts on the ground.
Instead, we often make the most difference when we lock in for the long haul, supporting the work that happens after the hurricane dissipates or the news cycle ends. This is especially important now, with US cuts to disaster relief making it more difficult for countries to respond and, ultimately, recover when disaster strikes. When key infrastructural systems — health clinics, electricity, vital roads, or sewage systems — are destroyed, it could lead to more deaths months down the line.
Here are some organizations that will be supporting survivors, rebuilding communities, and strengthening infrastructure not only in the coming days, but in the weeks, months, and years ahead:
This disaster is far from over. As the death toll in Haiti proves, even countries that aren’t in the direct eye of the storm could be devastated by the deluges and flooding that it causes.
And your donations can have a big impact on the recovery that comes next — and help keep these countries prepared for the next storm.