TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis says 28 Floridians are back home after they were evacuated from Jamaica. It follows the devastating impacts of Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in the island nation earlier this week.
DeSantis says the Florida Department of Emergency Management began evacuation efforts on Friday, organizing a rescue flight to transport the residents back to Florida. That flight departed Jamaica and landed at the Tampa International Airport on Saturday.
A Category-5 storm, Melissa was one of the strongest hurricanes to ever form in the Atlantic. It made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica on Tuesday, bringing sustained winds of around 185 miles-per-hour, heavy rain, and storm surge. Homes, businesses, infrastructure, and essential services on the island were completely destroyed.
Governor DeSantis says this marks the third successful evacuation by FDEM under his leadership, including a rescue from Haiti in 2024 and from Israel in 2025.
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