By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net

SPACEX has joined forces with US and Bahamian partners to help evacuate more than 1,400 residents from the Southeast Bahamas as Hurricane Melissa bears down on the region.

Flights yesterday carried evacuees from Inagua, Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, and Ragged Island to New Providence.

US Chargé d’Affaires Kimberly Furnish said the United States stands with The Bahamas “every day” but especially in times of crisis. She credited SpaceX, the Love and Light Foundation, and other US partners for their swift cooperation.

Matt Wideman, founder of the Love and Light Foundation and CEO of the Wideman Company, said Mrs Furnish contacted him to coordinate aircraft logistics for the evacuations. His foundation, which assisted The Bahamas during Hurricane Dorian in 2019, partnered with SpaceX, Christian airline Judah 1, the Bahamian government, and the US Embassy to move residents out of harm’s way.

He said each group contributed financially. SpaceX initially offered a plane for logistics, but his team later secured a 150-seat MD-83 aircraft fuelled in Miami through Judah 1. He said the government also used its own aircraft to transport evacuees.

Mr Wideman praised the government’s speed in mobilising resources, saying it demonstrated a clear commitment to protecting lives.

Judah 1 founder and president Everett Aaron confirmed the airline provided three aircraft with four flights for Bahamian residents. The nonprofit, which typically transports missionaries for disaster relief, partnered with the government to share operational costs. Mr Aaron said Judah 1 also worked with Bahamian authorities during Hurricane Dorian.

As of press time, Hurricane Melissa had weakened from Category 5 to Category 4 after slamming western Jamaica with catastrophic winds, rain, and storm surge. The system, among the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, caused widespread damage to homes, schools, and hospitals, leaving at least seven people dead — three in Jamaica, three in Haiti, and one in the Dominican Republic.

Mr Wideman said his team is preparing post-storm relief for Jamaica, with two planes scheduled to deliver Starlink units and other power supplies once conditions improve.

SpaceX vice president of launch Kiko Dontchev said the company will provide 30 days of free Starlink service for all users in The Bahamas and Jamaica, allowing uninterrupted communication in storm-affected areas. The Disaster Risk Management Authority will distribute the kits locally.

“We have a really strong relationship with The Bahamas,” said Mr Dontchev. “We view them as partners and as friends.”

SpaceX is also partially funding the evacuation flights.

The company’s partnership with The Bahamas began earlier this year when the government signed a landmark agreement allowing Falcon 9 rocket boosters to land on a drone ship off the Exumas — the first arrangement of its kind outside US waters.