Poko Loko rides out Melissa unscathed
... teams up with US charity to offer post-hurricane aid
Published:Monday | November 17, 2025 | 12:10 AMCarl Gilchrist/Gleaner Writer
Opened to much fanfare on June 16, 2024, one of Ocho Rios’ most unique attractions, the Poko Loko floating bar, lasted just 17 days before Hurricane Beryl tore it apart on July 3, with looters then descending on it.
The double blow resulted in losses of around US$1.2 million, CEO Anthony Warren, told The Gleaner a few days before it reopened on May 26 this year.
Then lightning tried to strike twice.
Five months after reopening, the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica, Melissa, swept across Jamaica on October 28, leaving a trail of destruction.
This time, however, Warren and his team were prepared for the storm and emerged unscathed. And not only did they ride the waves of success, they have decided to join the humanitarian effort to help the victims of Hurricane Melissa.
Warren says that Poko Loko has teamed up with the United States-based Ground Force Humanitarian Aid (GFHA) to launch Operation CareBase, and established a Swift Action Force Emergency (SAFE) Camp at the Montego Bay Convention Centre to assist victims of the hurricane.
“I’m so happy to say that we didn’t even get a scratch on the bar the entire time,” Warren said.
“We had a great hurricane plan set up and we followed it to a ‘T’. We moved the bar to a safe harbour location, we tied it down, we had security on board, we had our maintenance staff working the entire time, and everything just turned out great,” he explained.
Poko Loko reopened on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Rob Gaudet, CEO and founder of GFHA, explained that the collaboration with Poko Loko supports the coalition of humanitarian organisations working across the region to provide immediate aid and long-term recovery solutions.
“This isn’t just about setting up tents, it’s about building trust, stability, and infrastructure in the middle of chaos,” Gaudet explained. “Operation CareBase is a model for what modern disaster response should look like: fast, professional, collaborative, and focused on the most vulnerable,” he added.
A SAFE Camp serves as a secure, self-sufficient base for field responders and provides essential services to help disaster-stricken communities by offering hot meals, potable water, medical triage, Starlink-powered internet, hygiene services, fuel, and debris removal tools.