Santa Barbara’s Shelterbox USA responds to hurricane aftermath in Jamaica

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—Shelterbox USA President Kerri Murray spent a week in Jamaica assessing the needs for survivors of Hurricane Melissa.
 
More than 30,000 households have been displaced by the hurricane, with nearly 2,500 people remaining in shelters as of mid-November.
 
“I met so many families that don't want to leave their land where their homes were, and they're literally sleeping on the dirt. They have no power. They have no clean water. And they said to me, you know, we just need shelter,” said Kerri Murray.

Many people have roofs missing from their homes.
 
Shelterbox is focusing on providing a shelter kit so people can make home repairs.
 
“We've actually provided additional tarpaulins and then you can see just basic wood and some construction materials to create a single room structure,” said Murray.
 
Hurricane Melissa affected many of the same areas still recovering from Hurricane Beryl in 2024.
 
Shelterbox is trying its best to help by providing items like shelter kits, water carriers, thermal blankets, and mosquito nets.
  
With power and communication lines knocked down, many parts of the country are out of reach.
 
“It was hours of driving that complete darkness. So you've had massive devastation of critical infrastructure,” said Murray.
  
Something as simple as a solar lantern can go a long way, especially for women, who are at risk for gender based violence in disaster settings.
 
So far, Shelterbox has deployed 2,000 households worth of aid, enough to help 10,000 people.