Hurricane Melissa: A Record-Breaking Storm in the Atlantic

Hurricane Melissa made history as one of the fiercest hurricanes the Atlantic Basin has ever seen when it made landfall.

Devastating Landfall in Jamaica

On a Tuesday afternoon, Hurricane Melissa hit southwestern Jamaica near New Hope as a Category 5 hurricane. With winds as powerful as 185 mph, the storm unleashed havoc, causing widespread destruction from the intense gusts, heavy flooding, and considerable storm surges.

This hurricane stands alongside Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 for having the strongest winds recorded at the moment of landfall.

Comparing Historical Destruction

Hurricane Dorian was infamous for the damage it caused in the Bahamas, making landfall on September 6, 2019, with equally fierce winds of 185 mph. In the Bahamas, it remains the most intense hurricane on record.

The Labor Day hurricane of 1935 similarly brought devastation when it reached the Florida Keys, also with winds reaching 185 mph.

Jamaica's Struggle with Powerful Hurricanes

Hurricane Melissa is the fiercest storm to ever hit Jamaica, surpassing any previous hurricanes including a notable one in September 1988. In recent times, climate change has intensified the formation and strength of Atlantic tropical storms.

Impact of Climate Change

Scientific insights point to human activities causing climate change, which in turn warms the oceans. This heat acts as fuel, making storms develop and escalate in power quickly. As oceans absorb over 90% of the trapped heat from greenhouse gases, we're witnessing a surge in hurricanes reaching Categories 4 and 5.

Furthermore, rising sea levels due to melting ice caps and thermal expansion worsen the consequences of storm surges, leading to increased coastal flooding.

Fluctuating Storm Patterns

While the overall number of hurricanes hasn't seen much change lately, major hurricanes classified as Category 3 or higher are becoming more frequent.

A Call for Resilience and Preparedness

Rosimar Rios-Berrios from the National Center for Atmospheric Research emphasized the need for immediate recovery efforts and long-term strategies. "As ocean temperatures continue to rise, we're encountering storms that are more robust and harder to predict, thus posing higher risks to communities," she stated.

In an exceptional event, the "Hurricane Hunters" aircraft, tasked with flying into Melissa's chaos, had to retreat owing to extreme turbulence.