Jamaicans brace for 'triple threat' Hurricane Melissa with prayer, emergency prep

(OSV News) -- Catholic faithful in Jamaica are responding with "a lot of prayer" as the island nation is battered by what analysts say may be its worst hurricane on record.

"No precaution is ever enough for this kind of catastrophe," Tanecia Shaw, secretary of the apostolic administration at the Diocese of Montego Bay, told OSV News by phone Oct. 27.

Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 storm, was set to make landfall in Jamaica Oct. 27, having already killed three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.

With winds of at least 160 miles per hour, the storm threatens to bring as much as 40 inches of rain and 13 feet of storm surge flooding to the island. The last major hurricane to make landfall on Jamaica was the Category 4 Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, which killed 45 and devastated entire sectors of the island's economy.

While the storm falls squarely within the Atlantic hurricane season, which officially spans June 1 through November 30, the speed with which it has intensified has been alarming, as its winds increased by 70 miles per hour within a 24-hour period.

Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' official humanitarian and development outreach, has established a relief fund for victims in Haiti and Jamaica.

CRS noted on its donation page that the "triple threat" of flooding, wind damage and storm surge are poised to hit communities in Jamaica and Haiti hard.

In both nations, said CRS, "many families in the storm’s path live in fragile shelters or informal settlements, where flooding can be devastating and deadly," creating landslides, displacement and infrastructure damage.

With Haiti weakened by multiple, sustained crises -- including political instability, armed gang violence, natural disasters, food insecurity foreign intervention and international debt -- the storm's effects are even more dire, said CRS.

"In Haiti, the limited availability of functioning health facilities, combined with ongoing cholera outbreaks, raises concerns about any disruption to water and sanitation services," said CRS. "Widespread insecurity and poor logistical infrastructure are likely to significantly worsen the impacts of the storm. Urgent needs will be for safe shelter, clean water, food and essential hygiene supplies."

CRS said it has "extensive experience supporting emergency response efforts across the region for decades, with a team of 100 staff in Haiti and local partners in Jamaica and the region.

"Our emergency teams are securing offices and warehouses, preparing prepositioned shelter and clean water supplies, and helping people secure their businesses, homes and fields," said the agency.

The Florida-based Cross Catholic Outreach also announced a relief campaign Oct. 27, noting it was working with "trusted Catholic partners on the ground," including the Diocese of Mandeville "as well as multiple partners in the Dominican Republic," to "deliver critical aid, including food, medicine and housing supplies."

"Our hearts and prayers are with all those impacted by Hurricane Melissa," said Michele Sagarino, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, in an Oct. 27 press release. "In times of disaster, the Church has a unique role to play -- to be the hands and feet of Christ for those who are hurting."

In addition, a GiveSendGo campaign has been set up for the Diocese of Montego Bay, which along with the Diocese of Mandeville and the Archdiocese of Kingston serves the faithful on the island.

Funds donated to the campaign will provide for immediate needs such as food, water and emergency supplies, as well as rebuilding assistance and long-term pastoral care and community recovery programs, said campaign organizers.

The diocesan efforts are "led by our clergy, religious, and volunteers who are on the ground delivering aid where it's needed most," said the campaign description.

As Jamaica braces for the storm, Shaw repeated her plea for prayers as residents "take the necessary precautions."

"That's all we can do at this time -- that, and try to be safe," she said.

And "amid the storm, our faith remains unshaken," said organizers of the diocesan hurricane relief campaign. "We believe in the power of hope, solidarity, and love in action."