10 | January 2026
The Largest Hurricane in Jamaican History By Dr. John Heading, Ohio Disaster Relief director
Ohio Disaster Relief Director John Heading surveys the damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.
On October 28, Jamaica experienced the largest hurricane in its history. Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 185 miles per hour. The damage was wide- spread, but was significantly worse in the northwest part of the island. Destructive winds and torrential rain left thou- sands without power. The region of Montego Bay received 30 inches of rain. A Send Relief and Florida DR Disaster Assistance Re- sponse Team (DART) traveled to Jamaica within just a few days of the storm. Their mission was to assess the dam- age and determine where we could bring help to people in crisis. The response was developed alongside SBDR partners and the Jamaican Baptist Union. The plan is to help churches become operational so that they, as the body of Christ, can respond and meet needs in their communities. Florida DR and Tennessee DR are coordinating volunteer efforts.
As a result of our Florida-Ohio Partnership, four members of Ohio Disaster Relief joined four members of Florida Disaster Relief as the second construction team to enter Jamaica. Our Ohio team members included Matt Crum, University BC, Beavercreek; Isaac Hopper, Hill Station BC; and Kevin Harr, FBC, Grove City. Our mission was to repair and replace the metal roof at Sharon Baptist Church in Santa Cruz, Jamaica. The main building of the church experienced minimal damage, but the destruction to fellowship hall and parsonage was more serious damage. Our Florida-Ohio teams replaced the roof on half of the fellowship hall, which included the kitchen and storage area extension, and replaced the roof on the parsonage. The working conditions were challenging due to high tem- peratures and high humidity. The temperatures during the day approached 85-90, but with high humidity and the searing sun, the team had to stop work by two in the af- ternoon.
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