Hurricane Melissa was one of the most destructive natural disasters in Jamaica’s modern history. The Category 5 storm made landfall on 28 October 2025 with sustained winds of around 185mph (295km/h), bringing catastrophic winds, storm surges and widespread flooding. Western and southern parishes, including St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland and Hanover, suffered the worst of the destruction, with entire communities left devastated.
The human impact was immense. According to the United Nations, the hurricane ultimately claimed 45 lives in Jamaica, while thousands of families were displaced from their homes. Around 30,000 households were forced to leave their properties, with emergency shelters housing more than 1,000 people as rescue teams worked to reach isolated communities cut off by floodwater, fallen trees and collapsed bridges.
Melissa also left lasting damage to the country’s infrastructure and economy. The UNDP report that tens of thousands of homes were damaged, with some communities seeing up to 90% of buildings affected.
More than 4.8 million tonnes of debris blocked roads and disrupted access to hospitals, schools and essential services, while agriculture, tourism and transport networks suffered extensive losses. Initial estimates placed physical damage at around US$8.8 billion, making Melissa the costliest hurricane in Jamaica’s recorded history.
In the weeks that followed, relief efforts focused on providing emergency shelter, food, medical care and rebuilding support for the hardest-hit communities. Fundraising initiatives, including charity livestreams held by Global Fan Network throughout November, played an important role in helping raise money for those affected, supporting recovery efforts as thousands of Jamaicans began the long process of rebuilding their homes and lives.
DR Sports, AFTV & others play their part
On Friday, 14 November, just under two weeks after the hurricane had subsided in Jamaica, those at DR Sports and AFTV sprang to action to play their role.
Robbie Lyle, founder of AFTV, DR Sports, and Global Fan Network, as well as his family, have deep roots from Jamaica, and set a goal of raising around £20,000 during a charity live-stream hosted on DR Sports’ YouTube channel. The full stream can still be watched today.
The live stream lasted from midday to midnight, a full 12 hours long, featuring guests such as Sean Paul, Tinie Tempah, all the regular DR Sports presenters, Mark Goldbridge, Expressions, and others. It was a fantastic day for a great cause.
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A few days later, on Monday, 17 November, United View, led by DR Sports fan-favourite Flex, also hosted a further six-hour live stream to help the network get closer to its £20,000 goal. It was a monumental effort.
The numbers behind money raised
Overall, the two streams helped raise an incredible £19,444 for those who needed it the most on the GoFundMe page, with all the revenue generated through the streams on YouTube themselves helping smash well past the £20,000 goal.
The DR Sports stream amassed a total of over 166,000 views and counting, while Flex’s stream a few days later secured another 20,000 to the cause, with every penny heading toward those in Jamaica.
Over 650 people donated to the cause on the GoFundMe page, while plenty more sent in brilliant Super Chats in the YouTube live chat to help make sure every possible penny was raised.
If you want to donate, the GoFundMe page is still active. Whatever you can give, it will be appreciated.