Adventist Church Mobilizes Relief Efforts in the Aftermath of Hurricane Melissa’s Devastation

October 31, 2025 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Seventh-day Adventist leaders across Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic are working to locate members and assess damage after Hurricane Melissa tore through the islands from October 27–30, 2025. The storm toppled power lines, uprooted trees, flattened homes and buildings, flooded communities, and left at least 34 people dead. Church leaders confirmed that no deaths have been reported among Adventist members so far.

Situation in Jamaica

In Jamaica, the hurricane’s impact was felt across the island, affecting hundreds of members who “lost everything,” said Pastor Everett Brown, president of the Jamaica Union. He noted that several structures at Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville were also damaged by the storm.

Pastor Glen Samuels, president of the West Jamaica Conference, described the destruction in St. Elizabeth Parish—the area hardest hit by winds reaching 186 miles per hour—as “a colossal, catastrophic disaster.”

“Eighty to ninety percent of buildings in St. Elizabeth have been affected, with nearly the entire area flattened,” said Samuels. “We know 100 of our 246 Adventist churches sustained total or partial damage.”

Brown added that before the hurricane struck, the church had already distributed food packages and emergency funds to its five conferences to ensure vulnerable members had access to food and water.

ADRA Response

David Poloche, director of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) for the Inter-American Division, said that ADRA International and regional leaders coordinated response efforts before, during, and after the hurricane to ensure aid reached those most in need.

“ADRA is sending an Emergency Response Team to work alongside the local ADRA team in Jamaica to coordinate relief efforts in the coming days,” said Poloche.

In addition, ADRA is providing cash assistance to more than 350 families affected by flooding in the Santo Domingo area of the Dominican Republic, and to 230 families in Haiti.

In Cuba, leaders are still trying to determine the status of members in the eastern provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Holguín, where the storm made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane before weakening to a Category 2. Reports indicate mudslides, destroyed homes, and entire neighborhoods underwater, said Pastor Aldo Pérez, president of the Cuban Union.

“The situation is dire,” said Pérez. “Many communities are still inaccessible by road, with communication and electricity completely cut off.”

Entire towns were flooded as rivers overflowed, wiping out crops, homes, and infrastructure, he explained. Despite the widespread destruction, no deaths among church members have been reported.

From the Del Amanecer Conference, which includes the Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo provinces, Pastor Adaias Lores, president of the conference, has been reaching out to pastors and members whose homes were destroyed or heavily affected by the hurricane.

“We know of several churches and crops that have been completely wiped out,” said Lores. “The greatest challenge right now is the lack of food, and we are doing everything we can to help those most affected.”

Adventist members have also reported extensive damage. “In Sagua de Tánamo, the church roof was blown away, even after it was weighted down with sandbags,” Pérez explained. “In Mayarí, the church was completely submerged when the rivers overflowed.”

“This is devastating,” said Verdecia. “There are no words to describe what we’re seeing. People are stranded on upper floors,” he added.

While there has been severe material loss, Verdecia expressed gratitude that no church members lost their lives. Many believers have taken shelter in the church building or in safer homes, and the local Adventist community has mobilized to clean debris and prepare hot meals for neighbors.

Situation in Haiti

In southern Haiti, church leaders are assessing the extent of the damage after the storm destroyed two churches, damaged several Adventist schools, and affected dozens of member homes—including those of three pastors—as well as crops on church properties.

“We are deeply concerned about the devastation in Cuba, Jamaica, and Haiti. The impact has been immense,” said Pastor Abner De los Santos, president of the Inter-American Division (IAD).

Before, during, and after the storm, leaders and staff at the IAD headquarters in Miami united in prayer, asking for God’s protection over the territories in Melissa’s path.

De los Santos said the Division’s emergency response measures had already been activated before landfall.

“Plans were in motion across all three territories, and we will continue to monitor the situation and ensure an effective response for both our members and the wider community,” he said.

For the latest on assistant to the church membership and the community, visit us at interamerica.org

The original article was published at interamerica.org.