Hurricane Melissa on Monday became the third Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in 2025, and all of them surged up within days/ Why is this happening?

The most powerful storm to hit the region since 1988 could inundate some areas of eastern Jamaica with up to 40 inches of rain. The arrival of its core has been delayed by stalling.

Emergency water systems and medical teams deployed to Jamaica following Category 5 Hurricane Melissa with additional Samaritan's Purse relief flights planned.

Hurricane Melissa has hit southwestern Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, causing heavy flooding and wind damage.

With Hurricane Melissa's rapid intensification, the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season has produced three Category 5 hurricanes, which hasn't happened in a single season for 20 years. Melissa continues to make history as the third-strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin.

Its intensity at landfall appeared to tie an all-time Atlantic Basin record. But the devastation in Jamaica wasn't all Melissa brought to the Caribbean. Here is our recap of this historic hurricane.

Article last updated: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, 7 p.m. ET

Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, has pledged an initial $2.5 million through his foundation to aid Hurricane Melissa relief efforts across Jamaica and the Caribbean.