November 5, 2025 2:09 PM
Donated tech is part of larger effort to support emergency response to Hurricane Melissa
Amazon Disaster Relief team loading Hurricane Melissa supplies onto a plane bound for Jamaica on November 5, 2025 in Manassas, Virginia.Photo by Pete Kiehart/Pete KiehartAmazon has donated a suite of portable technology solutions to power and connect hospitals, police stations, and emergency operations in Jamaica as part of our commitment to help Caribbean communities recover from Hurricane Melissa—one of the strongest hurricanes in history.
This marks the first time Amazon has delivered our new disaster relief technology outside of the U.S. The milestone flight landed today in Kingston with 2,500 pounds of solar-fueled batteries along with satellite-powered Wi-Fi connectors. Amazon’s disaster relief tech solutions previously supported Hurricane Helene and California wildfire recovery.
After Hurricane Melissa caused widespread devastation across western Jamaica, much of the island faces weeks to months without power. Amazon’s nonprofit partners requested tech solutions to power their lifesaving operations, including providing healthcare to injured survivors, delivering meals to displaced families, and saving homes from further damage.
The tech relief is one part of Amazon’s larger Hurricane Melissa relief efforts. More than 150,000 emergency supplies—including urgently needed tarps, generators, water filters, and hygiene kits—have also been donated from Amazon’s Disaster Relief hub near Atlanta. The hub is stocked year-round with relief supplies so Amazon can help nearby disaster-impacted communities as quickly as possible. Amazon operates 15 Disaster Relief hubs around the world to help when disasters strike.
“Amazon is working with multiple nonprofit partners to ensure communities in Jamaica get the help they need. To share a sense of the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, almost no building in Black River is standing or protected by a roof after the storm, including homes, the library, and the school. To get aid where it’s needed, roads must be cleared, space for emergency supplies must be found, and specific needs must be assessed. The recovery effort for the Caribbean will take many hands, and being part of this global effort represents the very best of Amazon,” said Amazon’s Head of Disaster Relief Abe Diaz.
Getting food where it’s needed is another way Amazon is helping after Hurricane Melissa. Amazon donated warehouse space near Tampa, Florida to the nonprofit Operation BBQ Relief. Its now buzzing with activity as the nonprofit prepares more than 180,000 meals for hurricane-impacted families in Jamaica.
"Amazon's donation of its distribution facility has transformed this relief effort from aspiration to reality. The warehouse space, dock access, and infrastructure provided means we can reach thousands of Jamaican families who desperately need support. Every meal kit assembled here represents hope, nourishment, and dignity for people facing crisis. This isn't just logistics—it's compassion at scale," said Jeremy Bruce, Operation BBQ Relief senior head of technology, volunteers and communications.
Amazon’s partners in Hurricane Melissa response include:
Since 2017, Amazon has donated and delivered more than 26 million emergency supplies and shared lifesaving technology in response to more than 200 hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters. Learn more about our disaster relief efforts.
October 28, 2025 4:12 PM
Our focus is helping as quickly as possible as Melissa lands as the strongest storm to ever hit Jamaica
Amazon is working closely with UN agencies and other first responders to ensure communities in Jamaica and the Caribbean have the emergency supplies and technological resources they’ll need to recover as quickly as possible from Hurricane Melissa, a slow-moving storm with record-breaking strength.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall Tuesday in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, the strongest to directly hit the island since records began and the most powerful storm in the world this year. Hurricane Melissa is also impacting Cuba, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and other Caribbean islands.
Amazon is positioning supplies for nonprofits and first responders from our Disaster Relief hub near Atlanta, which is stocked with tarps, blankets, medical devices, and other emergency supplies so that Amazon can help nearby disaster-impacted communities within hours. Amazon operates 15 Disaster Relief hubs around the world to quickly respond to disasters when they strike. Employee and partner safety is Amazon’s first priority in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. Dedicated teams are working around the clock to provide alerts and up-to-date information to inform operational decisions.
In response to Hurricane Melissa, Amazon is also serving as a technology advisor to help communities restore power and internet connectivity as soon as possible as the storm is expected to cause catastrophic infrastructure damage and isolate communities. Emergency donations from Amazon are being coordinated for delivery by ocean and air.
"My heart is with everyone in Melissa’s path," said Amazon's Head of Disaster Relief Abe Diaz. "As someone who grew up in Puerto Rico, I’ve experienced the devastating damage hurricanes like Melissa can inflict, but I’ve also experienced the power of communities acting together for a common cause. Amazon’s approach to supporting communities starts with listening to local organizations about what people actually need. We've positioned donated emergency supplies at our Atlanta Disaster Relief hub to use Amazon's logistics capabilities to get them to communities quickly. What matters most is that these supplies reach the right places at the right time to support community-led recovery efforts.“
Our partners in Hurricane Melissa response include:
Since 2017, we have donated and delivered more than 26 million emergency supplies and shared lifesaving technology in response to more than 200 hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters. Learn more about our disaster relief efforts.
