Sean Paul had seen nothing like it.
The internationally-known rapper and singer was touring the Jamaican countryside, not long after Hurricane Melissa — a massive Category 5 hurricane packing drenching rain and wind gusts exceeding 200 miles per hour — tore through the western part of the lush island nation. Amid the demolished homes and snapped power poles Melissa left in her wake, however, Paul was particularly struck by one indicator of the devastation the deadly storm inflicted on his home country.
“I keep saying to people, ‘There’s no leaves on the trees, for miles and miles,’” says Paul, who is on the ground to support ongoing recovery efforts on the island. “I’ve never seen that before.”
Some trees “look sun-blasted, like driftwood at a lake,” he says. ”So you can imagine seeing the houses just splattered over the hills.”
With hit songs like “Gimme the Light” and “Temperature,” and fans on every continent, Paul, the musician considered a worldwide ambassador of Jamaican music, is using his resources to help his countrymen and women. Together with Angelie Spencer, a former Miss Jamaica, Paul is also using his star power to keep global attention on the country’s long, difficult road to recovery.
“I’m asking all my fans, friends, and supporters worldwide: If you can, please give what you can,” says the dancehall artist born Sean Paul Ryan Henriques.
Paul and Spencer took the time to speak with Word In Black about their work.
Dancehall artist helps disaster relief workers cleanup damage caused when Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on Oct. 28, 2025. Credit: Sean Paul Foundation / Extreme Weather Survivors. Video Produced by Shernay Williams / Word In Black.
Hurricane Melissa: A Monster Storm
When Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, the destruction was swift and brutal. The hurricane — one of the strongest ever recorded in the region — unleashed sustained winds of 185 mph. It also slammed the region with a record-setting wind gust of 252 mph.
The monster storm drowned communities with 1.5 to 2 feet of rainfall, and triggered widespread flooding and landslides across the island. Storm surge from the hurricane reached more than 9 feet in some areas.
As the wind and water receded, the scale of the devastation became apparent. The storm severely damaged or destroyed roughly 116,000 buildings and displaced as many as 25,000 people. It ruined tens of thousands of farms and caused power outages across the island.
Now, authorities and national agencies are in a race against time to restore basic services, clear debris, and continue assessing the damage to homes, roads, and the Jamaican economy. Tourism is the country’s leading revenue source.
As the cleanup continues, public health officials have raised alarms over the growing disease threat from mosquitoes, rodents, and unclean water. In November, the Jamaican government declared an outbreak of leptospirosis — a bacterial infection often linked to flood-contaminated water and soil that has killed at least six people.
Emergency shelters have been set up for displaced families, and social-support groups are coordinating the delivery of food, hygiene kits, and temporary housing materials. In addition to helping provide food and clothing, Paul and Spencer are helping rebuild infrastructure such as houses, roads, and solar-powered electricity.
Bringing Light and Food
Paul and Spencer have been on the ground since the island’s airports reopened shortly after the storm. Spencer, who was crowned Miss Jamaica in 1994, is a humanitarian focused on advocacy, community rebuilding, and supporting vulnerable families across Jamaica.
Light and electric power is “pretty well sold out in a lot of places now in Jamaica,” says Spencer. “So, anybody who wants to [can] send things from the States — solar fans, solar lights–because we always have sunshine, so at least those will charge up, and they have a little bit of light.”
Together with a local nonprofit, Paul’s foundation has issued a plea for his fans worldwide to contribute to relief efforts. In a heartfelt Instagram post from his home in Kingston, he pledged to match every dollar donated to the fund, up $50,000.
“Through the Sean Paul Foundation, we’ve partnered with Food For The Poor Jamaica to bring relief directly to those affected,” he wrote.
“I have to commend the Jamaica public service, because they’re really going hard trying to restore, but there’s a lot to do,” Spencer says. “Every line is down. Concrete poles that were in the middle of the street — they’re gone. All the light poles are down, the wires are gone.”
Paul says the challenges are steep, but he is confident the area can recover.
“With all these places, we’re giving out the care packages [and] we’re getting the water and the solar and styling it so that it can be a hub,” he says. “And you know, the economy in those areas can start back.”
Paul’s organization has also teamed up with World Central Kitchen, the internationally recognized nonprofit that works with local restaurants to feed hungry people during times of crisis.
“[Their] objective is to get little areas back up and self-sufficient on their own,” Paul says. “So, they’re working with 30 different restaurants in Jamaica, and they’re also cooking themselves over 2 million meals right now.”
Sometimes, “I’m giving them rice or food stuff, and they can’t wash their hands. And so, the hot meal is appreciated,” Paul adds. “After a while, we can start moving out of these communities once they’re self-sufficient. World Central Kitchen and Food for the Poor, Jamaica, are just doing great work.”
“Every donation counts, no matter how small. Together, we can make a big difference.”
Paul and Spencer are encouraging donations through Food for the Poor, Jamaica and World Central Kitchen.
