PORTSMOUTH, Va (WAVY) — Mercy Chefs started its plans for Jamaica last Friday as it worked their contacts to get kitchens set up on the island nation, expecting the Category 5 hurricane to wreak havoc.

The Portsmouth based nonprofit has a simple mission — provide hot meals in places devastated by natural disaster. At this time, they are still cooking in dozens of places around the world. The group is also still set up in western North Carolina more than a year after Helene. They intend to stay after the new year begins.

Now Jamaica is set in their sights. They will primarily travel by boat, worrying many of the roads there could get washed out.

"We have a cargo boat that can get there by next Wednesday, and we're looking for something faster," said Mercy Chefs president and co-founder A

See Full Page