The Samaritan Fund, led by Franklin Graham, took more than 38,000 pounds of emergency supplies to Jamaica after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa tore through the island, leaving widespread destruction.
Less than 48 hours after Melissa made landfall with a 185 mph bullet, a North Carolina Christian aid organization deployed its disaster response team and began loading critical supplies into Kingston.
“Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica and left tens of thousands of families in need of emergency assistance,” Graham told Fox News Digital.
“All the communities were torn apart, filled and filled with ruins. Many families just lit up the whole world. We want these people to love and love each other.”
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A man looks at a fallen tree in St. Canisa, Jamaica, shortly before Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Oct. 28, 2025. (Ricardo Makyn/afp via Getty Images)
The first Samaritan Cargo Flight, a B757 from the organization’s Airlift program center in Greensboro, is carrying 1,500 family kits filled with tarps, ropes, sunscreen and water filters. A second plane, a DC-8 Jet, is scheduled to depart on Friday carrying two community filtration systems, each capable of providing clean water to 10,000 people a day and health teams.
Edward Graham, the organization’s chief executive and Franklin Graham’s son, said the Clews were preparing even before the storm hit. “Before Hurricane Melissa even hit, our teams were standing by – meeting closely with our church partners in Jamaica, getting things ready,” he said. “Now our disaster response experts are on the ground, and we are hard at work providing for the families who are suffering. Please pray for Jamaica and these families who have lost so much.”
The storm knocked out power on most of the island, blocked communications, and flooded areas in southern Jamaica. Airport staff who processed Samaritan Carroll Cargos said the first delivery of aid.
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Crews loaded pallets of emergency supplies onto a car cargo jet at an airlift facility in Greensboro, NC, before departing for Jamaica. (Courtesy of Samaritan’s Fund)
Dave Holzhauer, who leads the agency’s disaster response in Jamaica, described the destruction as “Heartbreaking.” “All hospitals, schools and homes have been wiped out, and many families who were just beginning to recover from the previous storms are now starting again,” he said. “Floods are always high in some communities, and the need for hope and practical support is amazing. We are working urgently to reach the most difficult places – places still cut by debris and places suspected of the life and love of Christ.”
The relief effort is being coordinated by the Jamaican health service and more than 250 partners in the local Church through Spyse’s Operation’s Operation’s Operation’s Operation’s Operation’s Operation’s Operation’s Operation’s Operation Fund Network. Authorities say the group is prepared to provide mobile medical teams and emergency water systems as hospitals struggle to reopen.
A member of the Samaritan Fund pulls a load of relief supplies inside the Greensboro Hagwar organization before being sent to Jamaica. (Courtesy of Samaritan’s Fund)
Vincent Rose, a member of the church in Southern Jamaica, said many communities live in isolation. “We lost communications early yesterday morning and we don’t have power – it could happen for the next few days,” he said. “It’s very bad on our side. Crews are trying to clear the Main GreatFrefire so the emergency restoration process can begin. But even though a lot of water is coming to our house after the roof started.”
Franklin Graham said Samaritan firefighters trained by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association also joined the deployment to provide emotional and spiritual care. “Our mission is to meet physical needs while sharing the hope of Jesus Christ,” he said. “As we release things and clean water, we also remind families that they are not alone.”
A Samaritan B757 Cargo Parne aircraft is prepared to take off from Greensboro, NC, carrying 38,000 pounds of cargo bound for the Jamaican typhoon. (Courtesy of Samaritan’s Fund)
Melissa became one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Caribbean, with sustained winds of 185 mph and widespread flooding and landslides reported across Jamaica. The storm left thousands without shelter and caused a nationwide blackout.
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Samaritan Fund says more aid flights are planned in the coming days as crews continue to assess needs. The organization, which has responded to disasters around the world since 1970, is asking for continued prayers and support.
For more information about the organization’s efforts or to donate, visit Samaritanspurse.org.
