Reggae stars step up to help Jamaica after monster storm: ‘Really dire’
Hurricane Melissa left swaths of destruction across the northern Caribbean as one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record.
On Tuesday, the record-breaking Cat. 5, with sustained winds of 185 mph, made landfall in Jamaica, its strongest hurricane to date. As of Friday, there were 19 deaths confirmed in Jamaica and at least 30 in Haiti and roughly 80 percent of Jamaica is still without power.
Several celebrities with strong ties to the island are stepping up, like Sean Paul. The Kingston native posted a video on Instagram, calling on his followers to donate to the relief effort and posted a link to his eponymous foundation.
“Many of our brothers and sisters are struggling,” reads the caption. “Families displaced, homes destroyed, and communities in need of help.”
The “Get Busy” singer, with downed trees behind him, talks directly to the camera, pledging to match all donations up to $50,000.
“I’m asking from the heart if you can give to the country that’s given you so much for your entertainment and [is] just a peaceful place,” says the Dancehall icon, 52.
Another reggae superstar, Shaggy, is also rallying for his home country. For the artist, known for such hits as “Boombastic,” “In the Summertime” and “It Wasn’t Me,” the cause is more personal; his wife, Rebecca Packer, rode out the storm there, CBS News reports.
“My wife was on the ground, at our home in Jamaica,” Shaggy told the outlet. “The destruction is horrendous.”
The 57-year-old Grammy nominee, real name Orville Richard Burrell, teamed up with Orlando attorney Dan Newlin to send flights packed with emergency supplies Thursday morning. They’re coordinating with hospitals in Kingston and Montego Bay, so that devastated communities receive medicine, food, toiletries and water.
On Instagram Thursday, Shaggy, who bought a house in Coral Gables for $2 million plus in 2021, showed his followers that he was headed on a plane to Jamaica, along with boxes upon boxes of supplies.
“It is really, really dire. Jamaica needs you more than ever,” he says, adding, “We’ll pull through. We’ll pull through.”
The post includes links on how to donate.
The monster storm has since impacted Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. By Friday, Melissa further weakened as it moved over the southeastern Bahamas to Bermuda, about 1,000 miles from Miami.
The National Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. advisory that Melissa is expected to weaken into an extratropical cyclone later Friday, then gradually peter out this weekend.
“Right now, my island of Jamaica is going through a really tough time,” Paul says. “Hurricane Melissa has caused serious damage, and many of our brothers and sisters are struggling — families displaced, homes destroyed, and communities in need of help.”
match donation
” Along with the message, the musician filmed a video of himself, showing some of the destruction around him. Hurricane Melissa touched down this week as a Category 3 hurricane that has now become a Category 5. According to USA Today, at least 30 people have died and the storm has left buildings, homes and utility poles damaged in its wake. The storm is currently heading to Bermuda.
The musician is teaming up with Orlando attorney Dan Newlin, who’s using his two private jets to deliver donations and supplies to hard-hit areas in the island.
“My country has been devastated by this,” Shaggy told NBC6.
haggy, whose real name is Orville Burrell, is from Kingston and still lives there. His wife, father and other family members were on the island when the storm hit.
“My wife was on the ground at our home in Jamaica, and the destruction was horrendous,” he said.
The musician organized two flights that will arrive Thursday, and a third trip will be made on Saturday, flying in water, medicine, flashlights and other basic items. They’ll land in Kingston, and then work with teams already there to figure out where the items will go.
“They don’t have the infrastructure that we do. So we’ve been blessed to live the American dream in different ways. This is our time to give back,” Newlin said.
Thirteen relief flights are expected to arrive in Jamaica on Thursday.
Officials announced Thursday morning that several of the island’s international airports are back open.
rom a private hangar at Miami International Airport, one of the first planes bound for Kingston was loaded with hundreds of pounds of supplies coordinated by reggae superstar Norville “Shaggy” Rogers.
Storm hits close to home
Shaggy, known around the world for hit songs like “Boombastic” and “It Wasn’t Me,” said this work is personal. His wife rode the storm out in Jamaica, witnessing firsthand the widespread destruction.
“My wife was on the ground, at our home in Jamaica, and the destruction is horrendous,” Shaggy said.
While his family is safe, he shared how he’s still waiting to hear from his friends, adding to the anxiety across the island.
About 70% of the island that doesn’t have electricity. A lot of the phone towers are down. So, you know, that just not knowing is, is where the anxiety comes in,” Shaggy explained.
Reggae star mobilizes aid effort
The reggae star said the devastation pushed him to use his platform to bring aid.
“The Black River, you know, hospitals that are damaged, you know, most of Montego Bay, you know, and a lot of, a lot of it on the west, and of course is, is lots of damage.”
Sean Paul documented Hurricane Melissa’s Category 5 fury from his Kingston home as Jamaica faced its worst natural disaster in 174 years.
