Extreme Weather
Hurricane Melissa intensifies rapidly toward Jamaica
Hurricane Melissa has escalated into a Category 5 storm with 175 mph winds, poised to hit Jamaica on Monday night. The storm has already claimed four lives in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Climate change is amplifying its dangers through warmer oceans and increased moisture.
Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica as category 5 storm
Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, struck Jamaica as a category 5 hurricane on October 28, 2025, fueled by unusually warm sea surface temperatures linked to climate change. Meteorologists expressed alarm over its rapid intensification and potential for catastrophic damage, including up to one meter of rain. Three people died in preparations for the storm.
Nonprofit revives NOAA's billion-dollar disaster database
Climate Central has resurrected the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's billion-dollar disaster database, which the Trump administration discontinued in May. The nonprofit updated the tool to track escalating costs of weather and climate catastrophes amid federal cutbacks. This effort highlights a growing reliance on nonprofits to preserve climate data as government resources diminish.