HMS Trent on standby to provide disaster relief after 'storm of the century' hits the Caribbean

Royal Navy warship HMS Trent is on standby to provide humanitarian assistance to Jamaica after the Caribbean island was hit by Category Five Hurricane Melissa, bringing winds of up to 185mph.

At least three people have died and tens of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes on the island after Hurricane Melissa made landfall overnight – the largest hurricane in history to hit Jamaica.

HMS Trent is now on standby to provide disaster relief after relieving HMS Medway in San Juan, Puerto Rico, earlier this month. 

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BFBS Forces News understands British troops have already been deployed to the Turks and Caicos Islands, southeast of the Bahamas, to support preparations.

Storm of the century

Hurricane Melissa, described as "the storm of the century", made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon, marking the most powerful hurricane to hit the island since record-keeping began 174 years ago.

Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness declared the island a "disaster area" and warned of "devastating impacts".

Three people were killed in Jamaica during storm preparations, while three others in Haiti and another person in the Dominican Republic have died. The death toll is likely to rise as officials conduct disaster relief efforts.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: "The UK government is preparing to deliver humanitarian assistance to affected areas with a focus on meeting the immediate needs of those who are most vulnerable. 

"UK humanitarian experts have visited the region this year to plan any humanitarian response in detail, including checking prepositioned stocks of relief items and testing supply routes.

"Royal Navy ship HMS Trent is providing a persistent maritime presence in the region to offer disaster response support, if required."

After making landfall in Jamaica, Melissa weakened to a Category Three storm ahead of making a second landfall on the island of Cuba, bringing destructive winds, flooding rain and a storm surge of up to 12 feet.

The UK's role in disaster relief

Every year, the UK provides emergency relief to coastal nations impacted by natural disasters.  

Last year, HMS Trent was deployed to the Cayman Islands to deliver emergency aid after the early-season Hurricane Beryl brought flash flooding to the area. Crewed by 50 sailors, she departed from Puerto Rico carrying bottled water, basic emergency supplies, and equipment.

On board was a Crisis Response Troop, comprising members of 24 Commando Royal Engineers and their equipment, and further augmented with personnel to support planning, information operations, meteorological forecasting, and image capture. 

In previous years, members of the Armed Forces have deployed to the Caribbean under Operation Ventus to provide humanitarian assistance in the form of food and basic medical relief, as well as engineering support to repair damaged homes and infrastructure, and to create flood and hurricane defences.