Devastating Hurricane Melissa is sweeping through the Caribbean. Here’s how to help

Before making a donation, experts recommend using sites like Charity Navigator to look into unfamiliar nonprofits.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a devastating Category 5 storm, tied for the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricane in history.

While the extent of the destruction is not yet known, relief organizations are already mobilizing to help across the northern Caribbean. As is typical in disasters, nonprofit groups told The Associated Press that cash is the best way to help, since unsolicited goods donations can overwhelm already strained systems. Experts recommend using sites like Charity Navigator or the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance to check out unfamiliar charities before donating.

Here is some of the work being done and ways to support people impacted by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and beyond.