ST. LUCIE COUNTY — The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners is donating nine pallets of heavy-duty tarps to support the Caribbean American Cultural Group’s relief efforts for residents and businesses in Jamaica affected by Hurricane Melissa.
Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, causing widespread damage to homes, infrastructure and agriculture, leading to at least 32 deaths and displacing tens of thousands of people. Millions of residents are experiencing prolonged power outages and communication disruptions.
The Caribbean American Cultural Group is working with the Consulate General of Jamaica to distribute the tarps. County officials said the materials were supplied from Emergency Management’s surplus inventory and will not affect storm preparedness.
“St. Lucie County’s Public Safety staff knows first-hand the devastating impacts Mother Nature can cause. Following Hurricane Milton last year, we received a lot of generous support from other agencies around the state. With the support of our County Commissioners, we are more than happy to help our neighbors when we can,” said St. Lucie County Public Safety Director Ron Guerrero.
The Caribbean American Cultural Group, a nonprofit organization based in Port St. Lucie since 1984, continues to coordinate relief efforts. Information about how to assist is available at its website.