Members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department are on their way to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 storm, killing at least 19 people and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
Jamaica took a direct hit and was left with extensive damage, including roofless homes, wiped-out roads and destroyed infrastructure. It was one of the most powerful hurricanes on record to make landfall in the Atlantic Basin.
The search and rescue team, known as USA-2, was ordered by the U.S. State Department to respond to the storm-battered nation to assist in recovery efforts.
The team departed from LAX Thursday night and was expected to land Friday morning. It is made up of 34 members and four search dogs. Together, they have 42,000 pounds of equipment.
Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the extreme conditions are exactly what the team is prepared for.
“Their impressive skill set and expertise are the reason they are considered elite and the best of the best,” said Marrone.
The Los Angeles County team will be joined by the Fairfax County (Virginia) Fire Department’s international USAR team, USA-1, which was activated. They’re expected to be there for two weeks.
Packing winds of 185 mph, Hurricane Melissa left a wake of death and devastation in Jamaica after making landfall on Tuesday at New Hope on the southwestern side of the island.
Eyewitness News spoke with an Inglewood woman and her family who are stranded in a heavily-damaged hotel after arriving in Jamaica last week for a wedding.
“We went from what was being a joyous celebration… to are we going to live through this?,” said Lois Threats.
Her daughter, Daphne Barnes, added that they didn’t have any water or power.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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