Powerful Hurricane Melissa Threatens Jamaica's Tourism-Dependent Economy

As of October 29th, 2025, Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 3 storm, is currently moving through the Caribbean Sea, posing a significant threat to the island nation of Jamaica. Jamaica, a country that relies on tourism for about a third of its annual revenue, is ill-equipped to handle the devastation that a storm of this magnitude can bring.

According to disaster and emergency preparedness experts, Jamaica has limited resources to prepare for and respond to such devastating storms. Officials had anticipated that some 50,000 of Jamaica's 2.8 million population would be displaced by the hurricane. The Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1st and runs through November 30th, has already seen 13 named storms form, and experts predict that this will be an above-average season, with 18 named storms and up to 9 of them becoming hurricanes.

Climate change is also exacerbating the intensity and frequency of these powerful storms. Experts have warned that intense storms like Melissa are more likely to occur, with more rapid intensification, in a warming world. Last year, two Category 5 hurricanes, Beryl and Helene, caused over $113 billion in damages and more than 250 deaths in the United States.