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Tampa, FL - A second charter flight carrying more than 130 American evacuees from Jamaica landed at Tampa International Airport late Saturday night.
According to Grey Bull Rescue, the Tampa-based nonprofit coordinated two rescue flights following the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica earlier in the week as a Category 5 storm.
The first flight, transporting 170 passengers, arrived late Friday evening, while the second flight was delayed due to airport complications in Kingston and landed around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.
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The organization said the operation was funded entirely by private donations and carried out after many Americans were left stranded without government evacuation options.
Grey Bull Rescue, founded by a U.S. Army and Navy veteran, routinely deploys to crisis zones and natural disaster sites to assist Americans in need of emergency transport.
A spokesperson for the organization said the evacuees endured several days without electricity, communication, or consistent access to food and water before being flown home.
Hurricane Melissa brought widespread devastation across Jamaica and the northern Caribbean, leaving communities without power and damaging infrastructure across multiple regions.
Jamaican officials have reported at least 19 confirmed deaths, while regional estimates put the total death toll near 50.
Authorities say the number is expected to rise as search and recovery efforts continue in isolated areas.
The rescue flights marked one of several privately organized efforts to bring stranded Americans back to the United States following the storm.