TUCKER, GA — Hurricane Melissa has caused severe flooding and storm surge in Cuba after leaving Jamaica with power outages and killing 25 people in Haiti.

The state department is deploying emergency teams to the Caribbean in response to Hurricane Melissa.

According to the state department, a regional disaster assistance response team was deployed and officials activated US-based urban search and rescue teams to bolster response efforts.

Here at home, local groups are also finding ways to help.

Chris Brand is CEO of Friends of Disabled Adults and Children.

His Tucker-based non-profit specializes in getting equipment into disaster areas.

That will include oxygen equipment and other medical supplies to outfit field hospitals that will be needed because many local hospitals are damaged or without power, and those that are functional will be overwhelmed with patients.

Hurricane Melissa knocked out power to over 75% of the island.

Brand’s organization works primarily within the US, but has global partners to get relief wherever it is needed.

The Jamaican government has said it’s hoping to reopen the island’s airports as early as tomorrow to allow emergency supplies to enter the country.

WSB Radio’s Graham Carroll contributed to this story.