The government and aid agencies are making plans to ship aid and volunteers out to Jamaica to assist after the devastation of Hurricane Ivan.
Two Royal Navy vessels with technicians and medical staff on board are en route to the area and the government has humanitarian experts on standby.
Oxfam is flying staff out as soon as the airports reopen and said providing drinking water would be the priority.
A phone number has been set up by the Foreign Office for concerned relatives.
A government spokesman said officials were monitoring the situation as the storm continued to batter Jamaica and more would be known after it passed through.
The Department for International Development has humanitarian experts ready for action and is liaising with the Jamaican authorities.
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The first thing will be getting fresh water, and there will also be a massive need for blankets and shelter materials
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Oxfam Caribbean humanitarian co-ordinator Marilise Turnbull
Two Royal Navy vessels, HMS Richmond and the Royal Auxiliary Fleet tanker Wave Ruler are heading for the area.
The 300 personnel on board include medical staff and technicians.
In Grenada, where HMS Richmond also assisted, those on board helped rebuild the airport runways and restore power.
And Oxfam aid workers are on standby to fly out to the island as quickly as possible to re-establish basic living conditions.
Oxfam Caribbean humanitarian co-ordinator Marilise Turnbull said: "The first thing will be getting fresh water, and there will also be a massive need for blankets and shelter materials.
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Everybody will be looking to do their bit, and there will be a drive to help
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Al Hamilton, Concerned Jamaicans
"Many people will have lost not only their homes but their livelihoods.
"Jamaica will need an awful lot of government assistance and I know the British Government is interested in helping as much as it can."
Meanwhile, church groups and community leaders in London are setting up collection points and asking people to donate whatever they can for those worst affected by the hurricane.
"We are asking people to donate practical things to help people who need them," said Lester Lewis, chairman of the Hackney Black People's Association.
"This could be tinned food, clothes, nappies, towels, toiletries - anything that's used for living," he added.
"We are acting as a collection point and are asking church leaders in other boroughs to set up places people can donate things."
But the Jamaican High Commission in London urged donors to wait until a national damage assessment was made, and to refrain from making material donations until the commission announced what type of assistance was needed.
"The High Commission requests that Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica do not send any material donations until advised of our needs," a spokeswoman said.
"In the meantime, monetary donations may be sent to the Jamaican High Commission.
"All donations will be channelled centrally to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management in Jamaica and will be officially receipted and acknowledged."
The Foreign Office number for anyone concerned about a relative in Jamaica is 020 7008 1500.
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