Jamaica: Hurricane Melissa
operation: island cross
RESTORING ACCESS: RAPID EVACUATION AND LOGISTICS DURING HURRICANE MELISSA
During Hurricane Melissa, Grey Bull Rescue deployed Operation: ISLAND CROSS to support large-scale evacuation and recovery efforts as critical infrastructure across Jamaica was damaged or rendered unusable. As the storm disrupted transportation networks and isolated communities, the team rapidly mobilized to restore access, coordinate movement, and assist civilians attempting to reach safety.
Operating in a degraded environment with limited resources, Grey Bull Rescue executed time-sensitive logistics operations, supporting evacuations and stabilizing movement pathways amid widespread disruption. Working alongside local partners and authorities, the team delivered disciplined coordination and on-the-ground support when conventional systems were overwhelmed—demonstrating Grey Bull Rescue’s ability to respond effectively in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters.
UNPRECEDENTED DISASTER
In late October 2025, Category 5 Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica with catastrophic force, destroying infrastructure, flooding airports, cutting off power island-wide, and wiping out all communications. More than 300 Americans were trapped in Montego Bay and Kingston with no electricity, no phones, no transportation, and no way to call for help. Grey Bull Rescue deployed on Day One, sending an advance 12-man team into the devastated region to operate in conditions described as “total devastation and isolation.”
LIFE-SAVING HUMANITARIAN AID
Grey Bull Rescue’s elite team of special operations veterans, intelligence officers, pilots, paramedics from Black Flag Response, and volunteers immediately established forward operating bases in Montego Bay and Kingston. Landing a PC-12 aircraft on a water-logged, storm-damaged runway, the team restored Starlink communications, reopened access to Montego Bay’s airfield, and began coordinating complex extractions under dangerous conditions. Over the next 24 hours, Grey Bull delivered emergency care, medical support, and critical coordination for two large-scale evacuation flights while navigating flooded terrain, debris, and collapsing infrastructure.
RESCUING THE VULNERABLE
With Americans cut off from all communication and unable to request help, Grey Bull Rescue operated entirely at the SPEED OF NEED. Using specialized equipment and advanced medical teams, the Field Operations units located, vetted, and safely moved over 340 stranded Americans onto evacuation aircraft—two Airbus A320s operating out of Jamaica on October 31 and November 1. Black Flag Response provided onsite medical treatment, emergency care, and medication support while Grey Bull handled rescue operations, communications, mobility, and exfiltration logistics. This rapid-response mission marked Grey Bull Rescue’s 797th successful operation.
lasting impact
With evacuations complete, Grey Bull Rescue continues to support Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. The team returned with approximately 200 pallets of humanitarian aid, including medical supplies, food, water, Starlink units, and power equipment to assist devastated communities still without essential services. Grey Bull Rescue’s ability to operate in war-zone-like destruction—without power, comms, or infrastructure—demonstrates our unwavering commitment to saving lives wherever Americans are in danger.
From warzones to natural disasters, we rescue Americans in trouble anytime, anywhere
