Catastrophic Hurricane Devastates Jamaica and Its Chabad Center

By Tzali Reicher – Chabad.org

Hurricane Melissa made a direct hit to Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon October 28, bringing record breaking 185 mph winds, over 40 inches of rain and storm surges that caused massive destruction throughout the Caribbean island.

Melissa rapidly escalated from a tropical storm into a hurricane and then into a catastrophic Category 5 before inhabitants and visitors had a chance to flee. Amongst them were the island’s Chabad-Lubavitch shluchim, Rabbi Yaakov and Chaya Raskin and their children, who are based in Montego Bay.

The Raskins are weathering the hurricane in a windowless room at the center of the Chabad House. Recently renovated in 2023, the building was equipped with hurricane-rated doors and windows that should have withstood the storm. However, Melissa’s unprecedented force blew the main glass door off its hinges and shattered most of the windows. Additionally, Rabbi Raskin told Chabad.org that his daughter’s room is “gone”, along with freezers packed with kosher food—provisions meant to serve the Jewish community in the storm’s aftermath. All of the beds and mattresses have been wedged against the main glass doors to prevent it from caving in, and to protect the home from the wind and rain.

Extreme winds ripped AC units and solar panels from the roof and hurled them away. The backup generator has failed to kick in. They have only one cell phone with power, and with phone and electricity towers down, and the internet and Starlink failing, communication remains sporadic at best. Thankfully, the Torah scrolls are safe, having been moved to the windowless mikvah room early Tuesday once water began coming into the synagogue.

In the hours since the hurricane hit, Rabbi Raskin has been in touch with Jewish tourists stranded in Montego Bay and looking for support. Miraculously they are safe, but current conditions do not allow them to make the journey to Chabad center.

Rapid Escalation Prevented Evacuation
The Raskin family has withstood numerous storms and natural disasters since 2014, most recently in 2024 with Hurricane Beryl, when the Chabad House sustained $30,000 in damages.

However, nothing could have prepared them for Hurricane Melissa, which within a 36-hour period, escalated from a manageable tropical storm, to the ‘most powerful storm in Jamaica’s history’.

Just three days ago, on Shabbat afternoon, forecasts told locals to expect a tropical storm, and by Sunday, Rabbi Raskin spoke of a manageable Category 2 or 3 hurricane. By the time it became clear Melissa was turning into the strongest hurricane on the planet this year, a clear Category 5 by Monday, the airports were closed. With no choice but to stay in Jamaica, the Raskins pivoted towards ensuring the safety of their family and their community.

They reached out to thousands of contacts on the island, and a family of visiting tourists, who were staying in a more vulnerable location, moved into the Raskins’ home. They also gathered food, water and supplies to share with others for when Melissa moved on. Much of that has been destroyed, and the storm isn’t yet over.

Another 14 inches of rain are expected, even as Melissa leaves Jamaica and turns towards Cuba, adding to the estimated 40 inches that have already fallen. While the Raskins are protected from storm surges, with the center situated on a mountaintop, rain and wind have been tearing through the home from all sides for hours. Authorities in Jamaica have reported massive damage and flooding throughout the country, with houses destroyed and infrastructure down in countless areas. Hurricane Melissa has now claimed at least seven lives, three in Jamaica during storm preparations,three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.

“We are the Rebbe’s emissaries here,” Raskin said on Monday, only hours before Melissa made landfall. “We have a responsibility to every Jew and non-Jew on the island. G-d runs the world. Our job is to prepare as best we can and trust that He’ll do the rest.”

To support the Raskins and help Chabad of Montego Bay rebuild, visit JewishJamaica.com/Melissa.