Falcons' Arthur Blank Donates $2.5M to Hurricane Melissa Relief Efforts

Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank announced Wednesday he's donating a total of $2.5 million toward the Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts.

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is giving $1.5 million to World Central Kitchen and another $1 million to Team Rubicon.

"Jamaica and the Caribbean hold a special place in my heart, filled with meaningful family memories," Blank said. "The impact of Hurricane Melissa is profound, but so is the resilience of people in this region. We're humbled to support Team Rubicon and World Central Kitchen with an initial grant to help address immediate needs in the community with disaster relief and nourishing meals. While the road ahead will be long, our hearts are with those affected, and we hope our support brings comfort and strength along the way."

Melissa first made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm on Tuesday and then hit Cuba on Wednesday as a Category 3.

"Our infrastructure has been severely compromised," said Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica's minister for local government and community development, per the Guardian. "The entire [Island of] Jamaica has felt the brunt of Melissa."

According to CNN, at least 25 people died in Haiti due to flooding caused by the hurricane. The country was estimated to have around 12 inches of rainfall.

Meterologists predict Melissa, which is now a Category 2, will reach the Bahamas as early as Wednesday afternoon.