Melissa Retired from Hurricane Naming Lists After Devastating Impact on Jamaica The World Meteorological Organization Hurricane Committee has officially retired the name "Melissa" from future hurricane naming lists following the catastrophic destruction it caused in the Caribbean. The name will be replaced by "Molly," which will appear on the list in 2031. Melissa, which struck Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane on October 28, 2025, is now tied with Hurricane Dorian in 2018 and the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane as the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic. Melissa’s landfall in Jamaica marked the most severe hurricane to hit the island, with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph at the time of impact. The National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Cyclone Report confirmed that the storm’s wind speeds are now matched only by Dorian and the 1935 hurricane, setting a new benchmark for Atlantic storms. The hurricane’s devastation extended beyond Jamaica, affecting Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and other Caribbean nations. At least 95 people died across these regions, with Jamaica alone reporting 45 fatalities. The storm’s destruction was compounded by its extreme wind gusts, with a dropsonde deployed during a Hurricane Hunters mission recording a 252 mph gust inside the storm. This broke the previous record set by Typhoon Megi in 2010 for the strongest wind gust ever measured in a tropical system. The NHC report also noted that Melissa caused at least $8.8 billion in damage to Jamaica, making it the costliest hurricane to ever strike the island. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo highlighted the profound impact of the storm, stating, “The risks associated with tropical cyclones are both real and increasing. It only takes one landfalling tropical cyclone to roll back years of development.#world_meteorological_organization #hurricane_melissa #jamaica #celeste_saulo #hurricane_dorian
