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Donation sites have been set up in Philadelphia for people looking to provide aid to Jamaicans dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, a deadly Category 5 storm that struck the island country earlier this week.
The hurricane that hit Jamaica on Tuesday is the strongest storm in the island’s history. Wind speeds for the storm reached up to 185 mph. Its death toll may not be known for days, according to an official interviewed by the BBC.
As of Thursday, 72% of the island was without power. Christopher Chaplin, Jamaica’s Honorary Consul in Philadelphia, said his communication efforts with people on the island have been “mixed.”
The path of the storm moved from east to west, growing more intense as it passed over the island’s south coast, Chaplin said.
“I grew up in Kingston, which is to the east, and I’ve been able to communicate with folks via WhatsApp there,” Chaplin said. “In terms of communication with folks out west, that has been nonexistent on my end.”
He said they began setting up donation sites last week.
“We were prepared and we kind of hit the ground running,” Chaplin said. “We’ve been getting good responses. We’ve also been finding that people have been very supportive.”