RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Jamaicans in Riviera Beach and the rest of Palm Beach County are mobilizing relief efforts as Hurricane Melissa touched down in Jamaica late Tuesday.
WATCH BELOW: 'We do have drop off locations throughout Palm Beach County,' Mayor Douglas Lawson says
Riviera Beach leaders, many with strong ties to Jamaica, vowed to stand with the island as the country faced its strongest hurricane yet.
“We do stand ready to support in any way that we can,” said the fire department.
Riviera Beach partially activated its Emergency Operations Center, which will serve as the hub for coordinating relief efforts. Mayor Douglas Lawson, whose parents are from Jamaica, said 10% of Riviera Beach residents are of Jamaican descent, 20% are of West Indian descent.
He called on residents to donate to the city’s relief efforts.
“We’re calling for our residents, our business owners, our faith leaders, and our partners across Palm Beach County to join us in donating both monetary and in-kind support. We will ensure every dollar, every box, and every effort goes to helping families in need,” said Lawson.
Hurricane Melissa made a historic landfall in New Hope Jamaica on Tuesday, touching down as the strongest storm to hit the country. Early images show significant damage to Black River Hospital in Jamaica.
Lawson said the city is working with local and regional groups to get help on the ground.
“We do have drop off locations throughout Palm Beach County, we will be putting those up on the city website," he said. "As of right now, a lot of the supplies and resources are in the country; they have them available and accessible.”
The city said drop off locations will be available throughout Palm Beach County but for now, the focus is on monetary donations.
“We know that folks are eager to drop off food and clothing but at this current moment the greatest need is for financial contributions," said Erik Range, chief of staff to Lawson. There are resources in the ground in Jamaica.”
Residents wishing to donate can do so on the city’s website: https://rivierabch.com/MelissaEfforts
“We’re gonna be vetting a number of organizations to ensure your donations and contributions get directly to the residents with the most need in Jamaica,” said Range.
Meanwhile, Golden Krust in West Palm Beach is serving as a drop-off location for goods at 958 S Military Trail in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“Right now, we really don’t know what they need yet, but we’re here to support them and collect goods, blankets, and everything they need for a hurricane,” said Lakesha Hawthrone of Golden Krust Restaurant.
