Hurricane Melissa has stormed into the record books as the most powerful Atlantic hurricane of 2025. Melissa is currently tied for first for the strongest landfall winds of 185 mph, along with the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Dorian in 2019.  

Meteorologists, emergency responders, and resilient communities across the Caribbean were at the heart of Melissa’s story. From the National Hurricane Center to local volunteers, countless individuals stepped up to face the storm head-on. Hurricane Melissa is a Category 5 powerhouse. It brought horrible rains, devastating winds, and widespread flooding. Infrastructure was battered, power grids were knocked offline, and entire neighborhoods were transformed in a matter of hours. Melissa made landfall on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, around 1 p.m. ET, after a weekend of rapid intensification that stunned the forecast. The eye of the storm struck southwestern Jamaica, near New Hope, before sweeping across parts of Haiti, Cuba, and threatening the Turks and Caicos Islands. Its reach extended far beyond its center, impacting millions across the region. Fueled by exceptionally warm ocean waters and ideal atmospheric conditions, Melissa intensified rapidly, becoming the strongest storm on Earth in 2025. It is a reminder and a warning of climate change and how it can affect our storms.   

Hurricane Melissa wasn’t just a storm; it was a record. It tested the limits of preparation, response, and recovery. Melissa has earned its place as one of the most powerful and memorable hurricanes in recent history.