NEEDHAM, Mass. —

As Jamaica braces for a potentially record-breaking hurricane, the large Jamaican diaspora in Massachusetts is closely monitoring the situation and mobilizing to send crucial support to the island.

Melissa , a Category 5 storm, is forecast to be the strongest hurricane to ever hit Jamaica since record-keeping began in 1851.

"I don't think they can handle it, you know, because Jamaica is a small country, so it's a disaster right now," said Norma Atkinson, whose family resides in Jamaica. "We here have to be thinking of them, supporting back and forth."

The Jamaica Association for Massachusetts and the Peter Tosh Foundation are coordinating with sister groups across multiple states to expand relief efforts, focusing on providing generators, care packages, and medicine

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