How Hurricane Melissa quickly became one of the most powerful landfall storms in recorded history

Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm, made landfall in Jamaica with 185 mph winds. Its extreme intensity was significantly amplified by human-caused climate change. Unusually warm ocean waters, 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit above average, acted as fuel for the storm, a condition made up to 900 times more likely by climate change. These warmer oceans absorb about 93% of the heat trapped by carbon emissions. Melissa rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in just 24 hours, a rate of intensification considered extreme. It then reached Category 5 strength, becoming one of the most powerful hurricanes recorded in the Caribbean. In a cooler world, a hurricane of Melissa’s severity would be incredibly rare, occurring only once every 8,000 years. However, climate change made Hurricane Melissa four times more likely to occur and increased its wind speeds by approximately 10 mph. The storm was also estimated to be 12% more damaging due to climate change, causing billions of dollars in preliminary physical asset damage and potentially even more in total economic loss. Experts warn that such devastating extreme storms will become more common and potentially more intense if greenhouse gas emissions continue.