On this edition of Your Call’s Media Roundtable, we discuss how climate change intensified Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica’s most powerful hurricane in 174 years.
Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm has devastated parts of Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas, and affected the Caribbean islands of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, leaving a trail of destruction across in its path.
According to The Guardian, four people were reported dead in Jamaica. In Haiti, 25 people, including 10 children, were killed when flooding caused a river to overflow its banks. In eastern Cuba, authorities evacuated around 735,000 residents from coastal and low-lying areas as the storm approached.
Guest:
Matt Simon, senior writer at Grist covering climate solutions
Resources:
Grist: How Hurricane Melissa got so dangerous so fast
The New York Times: Hurricane Melissa Maxed Out What Scientists Thought Was Possible
The New York Times: Volunteers Step In to Help Understaffed NOAA Track Hurricane Melissa
Climate Central: Climate change's effect on Hurricane Melissa (2025)
Yale Climate Connections: Climate change strengthened Hurricane Melissa, making the storm’s winds stronger and the damage worse
