“We Don’t Have to Worry About Water”: Bringing Safe Water to Hurricane Melissa Survivors
In late October 2025, Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm, struck Jamaica. Water Mission’s disaster response team deployed to the island country ahead of the storm to prepare for meeting emergency safe water needs.
As the strongest storm on the planet in 2025 and the fifth most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic, Hurricane Melissa devastated multiple Caribbean islands, including Jamaica. People’s homes and livelihoods were destroyed, and millions were left without access to safe, clean water.
Within two weeks, Water Mission’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) got safe water flowing in Ferris Cross, Jamaica, situating two Living Water Treatment Systems (LWTS) on the property of a local community leader. From there, we began trucking treated water to storage tanks and tap stands installed in strategic locations—churches, schools, and community centers—in affected communities.
Over the course of our response, we installed safe water treatment systems in seven locations across Jamaica and produced more than 1.8 million gallons of safe water, serving more than 59,000 people total.
Testimony From the Field
In the town of Whitehouse, Jamaica, evidence of the storm is apparent on every home, tree, and face. Every resident, young to old, said the hurricane was unlike anything they’d experienced before.
Tina experienced the terror of the hurricane firsthand, made even worse by having four children to care for. With tears in her eyes from the memory, Tina shared that she and her children were huddled in their house during the storm, and her children were crying.
[The hurricane] started getting intense, and then the windows started to fly out of the house… And then I was trapped in the house with my kids, and I started to pray because there was nothing else you could do but just pray.
Tina, a mother of four, lost access to safe water due to Hurricane Melissa.
Like everyone in Whitehouse, Tina’s house was damaged in the storm, and she lost access to safe water. Her options were to bathe her children in dirty, contaminated seawater and to purchase bottled water to drink, neither of which was sustainable.
We partnered with Tina’s church to install a water storage tank and tap stand in the churchyard, to which we delivered safe, treated water. Every day, Tina walks to collect safe, clean water from the Water Mission tap stand at her church.
The people are so happy for the water and grateful. At least we know we don't have to worry about water. Because the kids were drinking the other water, somebody got sick and some of them had rash on their skin because the water isn't clean.
Responding Through Living Water
Not only did your partnership help us bring safe water to impacted communities, but you also helped provide opportunities for spiritual and emotional healing. We partnered with 28 churches across Jamaica to hold seven trauma healing trainings, all utilizing “Beyond Disaster” curriculum.
A total of 139 people attended these trainings, learning what the Bible says about their trauma and participating in lament exercises, where each person wrote a short psalm of lament to honestly express their emotions to God.
Our team handed out 366 Beyond Disaster booklets, encouraging attendees to distribute them to their neighbors and church leaders to share with their congregations. We also provided grants to 18 churches in support of Christmas celebrations to care for communities during a season of loss.
We partnered with local churches in Jamaica to provide residents with the opportunity to process their trauma through a biblical lens.
Many Jamaicans struggled with feelings of panic and depression after the storm. Although Tina felt these emotions too, her faith in God has helped her endure and remain hopeful.
It was horrible, but God delivered us through the hurricane. And I am so thankful, and I love Him, and I can't love Him [any] more because if it wasn't for Him, I wouldn't be here today. So I want to serve Him more. I want to do more for Him. Anything He calls me to do, I'm willing to do.
Partnering for Long-Term Solutions
When we respond to disasters, we partner with local governments and response organizations to meet needs. After providing immediate aid, we work to implement long-term solutions to help communities rebuild and prepare for future disasters.
In Jamaica, we will hand over operations to UNICEF Jamaica and local system operators by the end of February 2026. Thank you for partnering with us to bring safe, clean water to disaster survivors like Tina — in Jamaica and around the world.
By continuing to give safe water, you will help us remain prepared to deploy when disaster inevitably strikes. Your support will provide families like Tina’s with access to safe water as they rebuild their lives after disaster.
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