MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Project DYNAMO has already had multiple relief flights to Montego Bay, Jamaica, to help those affected by Hurricane Melissa, and a Local 10 News crew joined them Monday on their latest relief trip.
On Saturday, the nonprofit organization executed two more relief flights to deliver more than 2,000 pounds of critical supplies to the areas hardest hit by the Category 5 storm and to evacuate Americans who are trapped in Jamaica.
Local 10 on Monday spoke with tourists Mercedes Masciulli and Sean Fields in Montego Bay who were in Jamaica celebrating a friend’s 50th birthday when the storm struck. They described hiding in their hotel bathroom for nearly 18 hours with a mattress blocking the windows.
“At first, I thought we’d be OK, but then I realized Montego Bay was taking the full brunt of it,” Fields said.
“We were holed up, and our friend ran out of her medication. That’s when we knew we needed help,” added Masciulli.
Those taken back to the U.S. by the organization included a newlywed couple from Alabama who were on their honeymoon and rode out the storm in a treehouse in Negril.
“They were in an Airbnb treehouse during the hurricane and it was absolutely decimated,” pilot and Project DYNAMO volunteer Ryan Whitney said. “They even were nice enough to clean and work with the resort to try to pitch in where they could. We were able to get them and we came back to MIA two nights ago, and they made it on their flight to Atlanta at 5 in the morning the next day. They were super thrilled and happy.”
Whitney, who is also a trauma-trained surgeon donating his time and plane to deliver supplies and perform rescue operations, said he also evacuated a family that was celebrating a birthday in Jamaica.
“We’ve worked with several other organizations who have experience mobilizing food, and they’re even scaling up this operation further. This is called Operation Barbecue, and I think they assemble these breakfast kits with shelf-stable items that they’re able to get out there quickly,” Whitney added.
Eight Americans in all were evacuated by Project DYNAMO on Saturday and the organization went back on Sunday to pick up more Americans who were trapped on the island.
“A lot of people yesterday were stranded with medical problems. Our guys actually did a five-mile hike in the mud and retrieved two patients who were having medical emergencies,” said Whitney.
For Masciulli and Fields, the relief flight brought a sense of safety after days of uncertainty.
“We’re just so grateful to be on our way back to the U.S.,” Masciulli said.
Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica Tuesday as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.
Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported as Melissa hit with 185 mph winds near New Hope, with officials cautioning that the cleanup and damage assessment could be slow.
Local 10 also spoke with Mario Duarte, president and CEO of Project DYNAMO, as the nonprofit made its way from Sandy Bay to Montego Bay to assist with ongoing cleanup efforts after Hurricane Melissa.
“Every mission we embark on has specific parameters, and the situation on the ground can change rapidly,” Duarte said. “Our teams are dynamic and self-contained, which allows us to pivot quickly to different types of missions — right now, delivering food and relief, and next, gathering intelligence for the Jamaica police.”
Joshua Logan McKee, a sergeant and 25-year Green Beret serving on the Project DYNAMO team, said the group was heading to an area called Catherine Hall at the request of the local police superintendent.
“This area just opened up, and they don’t have the resources to get over there, so we’re going to give them a hand,” he said.
The team provides food, water, and medical support to locals, including checking blood pressure and blood sugar for residents with diabetes. Police escorts accompany the team to some areas, allowing them to navigate difficult terrain and assess where additional help is needed.
The team is also assessing communities for aid distribution.
“When we bring aid in, we need an area large enough to get trucks in but also safe to distribute supplies with the help of police,” McKee said.
Local residents are working to salvage what they can.
Dean Gelly, whose home and business were destroyed by the storm, described the devastation:
“It’s my home where I used to do my business. Melissa mashed up everything. I don’t even have a roof for anything — everything is gone.”
Local 10’s Christina Vazquez reported seeing families trying to recover belongings from their mud-covered homes.
“From the mountains to these areas of Montego Bay, we’ve seen folks trying to salvage what they can,” she said. “In neighborhoods like this, it’s not much, but they’re attempting to clean up and start rebuilding.”
The nonprofit is also coordinating with local authorities to evaluate immediate needs and lay the groundwork for longer-term recovery.
“Once we have assessed the damage, we will start the rebuilding process,” Duarte said. “It’s a bit traumatic for the team not being able to communicate with those we have not reached yet, so we’re trying to get the word out and meet with as many staff as we can to assess needs and ensure safety.”
HOW TO HELP: Nonprofit organizations in South Florida collect donations to help Hurricane Melissa victims in Jamaica
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