Hurricane Melissa: A record-breaking hurricane

We all heard about the catastrophic hurricane that slammed into Jamaica last week. Hurricane Melissa rewrote the record books when it made landfall Oct. 28, near New Hope in southwestern Jamaica. The storm arrived as a Category 5 hurricane, which is the highest classification on the Saffir-Simpson scale. With winds of up to 185 miles per hour and a central pressure of 26.34 inches, Melissa was the most powerful storm ever to directly strike Jamaica, and one of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic and Caribbean waters.

The storm’s rapid intensification occurred between Oct. 25 and 27. Within just 48 hours, Melissa exploded from a tropical storm into a Category 5 powerhouse, driven by warm Caribbean waters and nearly ideal atmospheric conditions. When it slammed into Jamaica’s southern coast, it tied the 1935 Labor Day hurricane record of the lowest barometric pressures from a hurricane, and the second strongest Atlantic hurricane in terms of one-minute sustained wind speeds.

According to various media sources, Melissa had the highest gust (252 miles per hour) ever measured by a dropsonde. A dropsonde is an expendable weather reconnaissance device designed to be dropped from an aircraft at altitude over water to measure and track storm conditions as the device falls to the surface. It was designed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Jamaica had never taken a direct hit from a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, and the devastation was immense. As the eye passed near Black River, located in the southwestern portion of Jamaica, officials described the area as “ground zero,” as almost every structure lost its roof. Across the island, hundreds of thousands lost power, and more than 130 roads were blocked by fallen trees, utility poles and debris. Although early warnings and evacuations saved many lives, the destruction of homes, infrastructure and agriculture is estimated at nearly $8 billion U.S., which is a staggering toll for the island nation.

After battering Jamaica, Melissa moved northwest toward eastern Cuba, where authorities evacuated about 735,000 people. Despite widespread flooding and crop losses, no deaths were reported there as of Thursday, Oct. 30, a testament to Cuba’s extensive preparedness system. The storm then weakened over land but continued to dump torrential rain across the Caribbean, adding to fears of landslides and flash floods.

Hurricane Melissa was the 13th named storm, the fifth hurricane and fourth major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season. It was also the third Category 5 of the season. Globally, it ranks as the strongest tropical cyclone of 2025. In terms of central pressure, it trails only Hurricanes Wilma (2005) and Gilbert (1988) in Atlantic records.

According to CNN, the NOAA reconnaissance flights into Melissa captured the storm’s fury firsthand. One aircraft was forced to return for a safety inspection after exceeding g-force limits due to turbulence. Videos from inside the plane show equipment falling from the ceiling as the crew, strapped into harnesses, tried to maintain composure through violent jolts.

Jamaica’s mountainous terrain and extensive coastline make it uniquely vulnerable to multiple hurricane hazards, including storm surge, landslides and flash flooding. Hurricane Melissa’s landfall demonstrates how hurricanes past the peak of the season in September can produce catastrophic results, even in late October.

To qualify as a Category 5 hurricane, sustained winds must reach at least 157 miles per hour. Melissa’s peak winds of 185 mph rivaled those of the most destructive hurricanes in history, including Wilma, Dorian and Allen. Such winds are equivalent to those of an EF4 tornado.

Only four Category 5 hurricanes have ever made landfall in the continental United States. These include the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, Camille (1969), Andrew (1992) and Michael (2018).

Historically, Category 5 storms were rare. Since 1924, there have been 45 in the Atlantic Basin, including Melissa, but 13 have occurred since 2016, a sharp uptick that scientists link to warming ocean waters and climate variability. The 2025 season is only the second on record to produce three or more Category 5 hurricanes in a single year. The most Category 5 hurricanes to be observed in a single season happened in the very active year of 2005, when there were four huge storms, including Katrina.

In terms of our local weather, October broke the string of seven months of below-average precipitation in Coeur d’Alene and other parts of the Inland Northwest. October rainfall at Cliff Harris’s station was 2.92 inches, compared to the normal of 2.22 inches. The continuation of the wetter than normal pattern is expected to continue through at least the middle of the month, probably through the rest of the year as the new weak La Niña is expected to persist.

Over the next several weeks, the long-range computer models are showing more Pacific storms moving across the region. At this stage, most of the moisture is expected to fall as rain in the lower elevations with some snow in the higher mountains. However, as we get toward the middle of the month, the flow may come more from a northwesterly direction out of the Gulf of Alaska, which would increase the chances of snow in the lower elevations.

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Contact Randy Mann at [email protected].