Rapid intensification occurs when a hurricane’s maximum sustained winds rise by a minimum of 35 mph (ca. 56 km/h) within 24 hours or less. Melissa achieved this remarkable increase on two occasions from Saturday morning through early Monday afternoon. One of these two intensity spikes was unprecedented: Extreme rapid intensification, defined as a wind speed increase of at least 58 mph (ca. 93 km/h) within 24 hours or less.

During this period, Melissa’s winds surged by 70 mph (ca. 113 km/h) in just 18 hours from Saturday morning to Sunday morning. Elevated sea temperatures in the Caribbean, coupled with advantageous upper-atmospheric winds, created ideal conditions for Melissa to develop into a record-breaking Category 5 hurricane.

Officials stated today that the term catastrophic fails to capture the extent of the destruction experienced in certain areas of Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa. Black River is a seaside community located in the southwestern region part of Jamaica. According to government officials, this region suffered the most of from the Category 5 hurricane. The hurricane has caused a lot of destruction to the Caribbean, and people hope to settle all this and restore their homes.