Hurricane Melissa’s destructive path across the Caribbean has spurred a surge in downloads for Jack Dorsey’s decentralized messaging app, Bitchat. The app now sits in second place on the Apple App Store and Google Play charts in Jamaica, offering a lifeline to over 2.8 million people affected by the storm’s impact. Bitchat’s popularity reflects a growing need for secure, reliable communication, especially amidst internet outages caused by the hurricane. It remains closely shadowed by the weather app Zoom Earth, highlighting the two essential needs currently at the forefront of people’s minds: accurate weather information and means to communicate with loved ones. 2023 has seen Bitchat’s adoption rise in times of crisis, including Nepal following government censorship and protests, Indonesia during similar protests, Madagascar due to ongoing water and power outages, and even as the European Union debates potential ‘Chat Control’ legislation that could impact encrypted messaging apps like Telegram and Signal.