ORLANDO, Fla. – After Hurricane Melissa tore across Jamaica with 185 mph winds, flattening homes and cutting power to nearly 80% of the island, Central Florida attorney Dan Newlin launched relief flights Thursday morning to deliver emergency aid.
Newlin partnered with reggae artist Shaggy to coordinate with hospitals in Kingston and Montego Bay, sending shipments of medicine, food and water to communities devastated by the Category 5 storm.
“Seeing these images reached out to the hospitals in Kingston, Montego Bay, and found out what their needs were. And that’s how we got started,” Newlin said. “Really working directly with the hospitals was Shaggy’s most important objective. And so that’s what we’re doing now. We also got a lot of medicine that was donated by local physicians.”
The storm left neighborhoods underwater and roads covered in mud and debris, with hundreds of families still sheltering in temporary housing.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness described the destruction as widespread, saying:
“Right now we are standing in close proximity to the Black River Hospital, and that has been totally destroyed along with several other buildings including historic buildings, churches, courthouse, the parish council, and all the heritage buildings have been destroyed.”
Newlin said organizing the relief effort has been both personal and purposeful.
“That’s been a big part of my whole life and that sort of energizes me,” he said. “I’m really happy to be out here helping out, knowing that collectively we’re all making a difference. It’s a way to remind people there’s a lot of suffering just three hours from here, and we can all find a way to chip in or do something to help.”
Newlin said his team plans to run multiple flights in the coming days and is partnering with faith-based and community organizations to reach the hardest-hit areas.
[WATCH BELOW: Jamaican groups in Central Florida mobilize over Hurricane Melissa impact]