From forecast to frontline: how acting early helped people prepare for Hurricane Melissa

From forecast to frontline: how acting early helped people prepare for Hurricane Melissa

When Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5, bringing destructive winds, storm surges, and catastrophic rainfall across the Caribbean—affecting Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti—OCHA and its partners mobilized rapidly to support communities and reinforce government-led efforts. Through anticipatory action (AA), they were able to quickly mobilize funds, evacuate families, and deliver life-saving aid before the storm hit. Raquel Peña, an AA specialist with OCHA’s Regional Office in Panama, explains how acting early made a difference to thousands of lives in the Caribbean.

On 21 October, forecasts showed that Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane, would be near Haiti in the next three days or so. Within an hour, a pre-agreed amount of US$4 million from the OCHA-managed UN Global Emergency Fund (CERF) was released to support more than 100,000 vulnerable people in Haiti’s high-risk southern areas. The response was made possible by activating a framework that allows anticipatory action. The AA framework is a proactive approach to manage potential impacts of a hazard. It uses forecasts to trigger pre-agreed actions and financing before a hazard strikes. The early response included disseminating early warning messages, life-saving evacuations, providing cash transfers, emergency shelters, water, sanitation, and hygiene kits.

On 21 October, forecasts showed that Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane, would be near Haiti in the next three days or so. Within an hour, a pre-agreed amount of US$4 million from the CERF was released to support more than 100,000 vulnerable people in Haiti’s high-risk southern areas.

Summary: Anticipatory action enabled rapid financing and pre-planned interventions, including early warnings, evacuations, cash aid, shelters, and essential services, mitigating impacts before Melissa struck.

Author's summary: Early action saved lives by pre-activating funds and protective measures, coordinating alerts, evacuations, and essential aid across affected Caribbean communities.

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OCHA OCHA — 2025-11-20

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