WASHINGTON — The Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue Task Force has been activated for deployment to the Caribbean to assist in relief operations after Hurricane Melissa, one of the most catastrophic storms to strike the region in decades.
The State Department said the team is part of a broader U.S. disaster response effort that includes a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team arriving in Jamaica. The task force, known as VA-TF1, will join local authorities and international partners to assess damage, locate survivors, and provide emergency medical and structural support.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds near 185 miles per hour, the strongest on record for the island. The storm left much of the nation without power and drove tens of thousands of people into shelters amid widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure.
Fairfax’s urban search and rescue specialists are trained for operations in collapsed structures and other complex environments. Their mission includes locating trapped survivors, conducting technical rescues, stabilizing damaged buildings, and providing medical aid. They will operate under the U.S. government’s international disaster response framework coordinated by the State Department, with support from FEMA and the Department of Defense.
The federal government has also released emergency supplies, including food, water, and medical aid, to assist the hardest-hit communities. Relief operations are being expanded to neighboring countries, including Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas, as the storm moves northward through the Caribbean.
“The devastation is widespread—entire neighborhoods are without power, and many communities remain cut off,” one official said. The Fairfax team is expected to begin operations within 24 hours, working alongside Jamaican emergency responders to locate survivors and restore essential services.
As Hurricane Melissa continues its path toward the northern Caribbean, U.S. officials say the Fairfax task force could be reassigned as needed to support additional response efforts across the region.
