WILKESBORO, N.C. — Samaritan’s Purse is hard at work gathering supplies to send to Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa slams into the island.
Many American tourists were unable to evacuate with airports shut down due to the strong hurricane. The storm has caused several deaths in the Caribbean so far, and authorities are urging people to stay inside and hunker down until the storm passes.
Volunteers with the Boone-based nonprofit loaded a plane in Greensboro Tuesday afternoon with the hope of leaving as early as Wednesday morning.
Channel 9’s Dave Faherty joined employees and volunteers at their 200,000-square-foot North Wilkesboro warehouse where they were packing up supplies, including shelters and water filtration systems.
Thirteen pallets were loaded onto the Boeing 757.
“On the airplane, I hope you get a shot of it,” said James Vechery, with Samaritan’s Purse, told Faherty. “It says ‘Helping in Jesus’ Name.’ So, that when we show up, they know who we are there to represent, and the fact that we are bringing hope and help in the need of a crisis.”
Samaritan’s Purse says they are ready to send a field hospital, if necessary. The nonprofit says their plan includes sending an advance team on Wednesday. Some of those people are already in south Florida.
Samaritans Purse says the island nation could see as much as 40 inches of rainfall from the slow-moving catastrophic storm.
One third of the country was without power Tuesday afternoon.
Jill Teran and her family from Texas visited the Samaritans Purse warehouse and saw firsthand the efforts to help survivors.
“They are the hands and feet of Jesus,” Teran said. “And they are doing God’s work and being preemptive on getting ahead of it.”
The organization hopes to have its first plane, a 757, on the ground by Wednesday, with a second plane, a DC-8, ready to go as soon as it lands.
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