Hurricane Melissa turns dangerous in the Caribbean as Sarasota watches closely

Melissa strengthened into a deadly Category 5 hurricane Monday with catastrophic impacts expected across the Caribbean, similar to Sarasota last year.

Monday, Oct. 27 update from the National Hurricane Center: Latest on Category 5 Hurricane Melissa

Article last updated: Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, 11 p.m. ET

Hurricane Melissa bearing down on Jamaica as a Category 5

Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 5 storm on Monday, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to bring catastrophic flooding to the northern Caribbean.

How rarely do Category 4 or 5 hurricanes make landfall?

Only 81 hurricanes have struck as Category 4 or higher since 1851, or about one every other year on average. A couple have crippled multiple points at that strength. Irma, in 2017, managed to hit five countries as a Category 4 or 5 — the most of any storm in the Atlantic.

Hurricane Melissa latest spaghetti models, Florida forecast, path, trajectory

Melissa developed into a deadly Category 5 hurricane Monday, Oct. 27, and is expected to have historically catastrophic impacts on the northern Caribbean.

Hurricane Melissa forms, could soon explode into monstrous major hurricane

Track the latest forecasts for Hurricane Melissa with USA TODAY's storm tracker for Saturday, Oct. 25. The National Hurricane Center reports Melissa has strengthened into a hurricane in the Caribbean on Oct.

Why Hurricane Melissa's intensity and slow-moving speed are a recipe for disaster

A powerful hurricane is barreling toward Jamaica with anticipation that it will be the strongest storm to hit the Caribbean island in modern history. Hurricane Melissa began rapidly intensifying over the weekend.
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