By SDCN Staff
Sacramento, CA–Governor Gavin Newsom announced the deployment of a highly trained Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team with unique international experience from Los Angeles to arrive in Jamaica as the nation grapples with the impact of the deadly Category 5 Hurricane Melissa.
The Urban Search and Rescue team from the Los Angeles County Fire Department has unique training qualifications for international deployment in addition to extensive search and rescue expertise. Urban Search and Rescue is a specialized discipline that involves locating, extricating, and providing initial medical stabilization for victims trapped in confined spaces due to structural collapses, transportation accidents, or other disasters. These teams employ a multi-hazard approach, responding to events such as earthquakes, tornadoes, and terrorist attacks. They are highly trained and self-sufficient teams that provide a range of technical skills and equipment to manage complex disaster situations, often working in conjunction with local emergency services.
The team will join colleagues from Fairfax County, Virginia, as they are the only search and rescue teams in the country with the unique combination of search and rescue and international qualifications.
“California stands ready to help when disaster strikes—whether it’s here at home or a world away. The deployment of this urban search and rescue team to Jamaica is a reflection of our commitment to lend a hand to those in need, to share our expertise, and to show that compassion and solidarity truly know no borders,” Newsom stated in a news release.
“California has built one of the world’s most advanced urban search and rescue programs in the world,” said Cal OES Director Nancy Ward. “We are proud to stand with our neighbors as so many states and international partners have aided California in our times of need.”
Hurricane Melissa made landfall as a powerful Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour that left destruction across the Caribbean, including Jamaica. By Thursday, Hurricane Melissa dropped down to a Category 2 storm packing 105 mph winds as it approached Bermuda.
Catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are expected to persist in parts of the region, according to the National Hurricane Center. Jamaica is among the hardest-hit areas, where severe flooding and destructive winds have obliterated homes and brought down utility poles.
Hurricane Melissa is one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, based on wind strength and pressure.
This latest deployment reaffirms California’s role as a global leader in disaster response, where skill, compassion, and collaboration come together to save lives and help communities rebuild with dignity and resilience.
California sends rescue teams to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa
