SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025.
(Photo: National Hurricane Center/X)
Monster Hurricane Melissa Is Ominous Reminder of Trump's Perilous Climate Policy, Aid Cuts
"The Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress are condemning people around the world to more frequent and severe extreme weather," said one critic.
Oct 28, 2025
As Jamaica was flogged Tuesday by Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 monster, climate defenders highlighted how US President Donald Trump's policies—including reckless fossil fuel expansion, eviscerating federal agencies, and slashing international aid—will deepen the devastating impacts of this and future natural disasters.
Melissa—the strongest storm to slam Jamaica since 1851—made landfall near New Hope at approximately 1:00 pm local time, with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, with significantly stronger gusts. As of 5:00 pm local time, the storm had weakened to a Category 4 as it crossed the Caribbean island's rugged mountain terrain, but still packed maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. Melissa is expected to strike Cuba next, with significant impacts also forecast for the Bahamas and Haiti.
Not only is Melissa the strongest storm to hit Jamaica—parts of which are still rebuilding following last year's devastating Hurricane Beryl—in nearly 175 years, it is also one of the fastest-intensifying storms in history.
As scientists have long predicted, planetary heating caused by human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, is driving the intensification of natural disasters including hurricanes.
According to a new study published Monday by ClimaMeter, "Compared to previous decades, meteorological conditions for cyclones like Hurricane Melissa are now more intense and potentially destructive, bringing heavier rainfall and stronger winds."
"The devastating impacts of Melissa show that fossil fuels do far more than warm the world—they make hurricanes wetter, stronger, and more violent," study co-author Davide Faranda said in a statement. "The science is clear: If emissions aren’t rapidly cut, countries like Jamaica will face storms more destructive than anything ever seen before."
However, Trump—who ran for reelection on a "drill, baby, drill" energy platform—and his fossil-friendly administration have no intention of cutting emissions, or pursuing any sort of pro-climate policies.
The Trump administration has also suppressed climate science, gutted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its forecasting infrastructure, and worked to undermine Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) operations.
Much of this has occurred under the direction of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, who co-authored the policy portion of Project 2025, a blueprint for overhauling the federal government that includes dramatic cuts to critical public programs, abolishing or gutting essential government agencies, and a litany of other far-right wish list items.
Some of those items have already been checked off the list, including shutting down the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which previously administered foreign aid. International assistance, which has been dramatically slashed, is now under the auspices of the US State Department.
“Hurricane Melissa is poised to unleash unspeakable harm on Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean, a tragedy which will be deepened by Donald Trump and Russell Vought’s lawlessly unilateral cessation of USAID funding," lamented Jeff Hauser, the executive director of the Revolving Door Project, in a statement Tuesday.
"Flooding risks are projected to be elevated in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, both US territories," Hauser continued. "By further expanding planet-heating fossil fuel pollution, the Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress are condemning people around the world to more frequent and severe extreme weather, including rapidly intensifying monster hurricanes."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As Jamaica was flogged Tuesday by Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 monster, climate defenders highlighted how US President Donald Trump's policies—including reckless fossil fuel expansion, eviscerating federal agencies, and slashing international aid—will deepen the devastating impacts of this and future natural disasters.
Melissa—the strongest storm to slam Jamaica since 1851—made landfall near New Hope at approximately 1:00 pm local time, with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, with significantly stronger gusts. As of 5:00 pm local time, the storm had weakened to a Category 4 as it crossed the Caribbean island's rugged mountain terrain, but still packed maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. Melissa is expected to strike Cuba next, with significant impacts also forecast for the Bahamas and Haiti.
Not only is Melissa the strongest storm to hit Jamaica—parts of which are still rebuilding following last year's devastating Hurricane Beryl—in nearly 175 years, it is also one of the fastest-intensifying storms in history.
As scientists have long predicted, planetary heating caused by human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, is driving the intensification of natural disasters including hurricanes.
According to a new study published Monday by ClimaMeter, "Compared to previous decades, meteorological conditions for cyclones like Hurricane Melissa are now more intense and potentially destructive, bringing heavier rainfall and stronger winds."
"The devastating impacts of Melissa show that fossil fuels do far more than warm the world—they make hurricanes wetter, stronger, and more violent," study co-author Davide Faranda said in a statement. "The science is clear: If emissions aren’t rapidly cut, countries like Jamaica will face storms more destructive than anything ever seen before."
However, Trump—who ran for reelection on a "drill, baby, drill" energy platform—and his fossil-friendly administration have no intention of cutting emissions, or pursuing any sort of pro-climate policies.
The Trump administration has also suppressed climate science, gutted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its forecasting infrastructure, and worked to undermine Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) operations.
Much of this has occurred under the direction of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, who co-authored the policy portion of Project 2025, a blueprint for overhauling the federal government that includes dramatic cuts to critical public programs, abolishing or gutting essential government agencies, and a litany of other far-right wish list items.
Some of those items have already been checked off the list, including shutting down the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which previously administered foreign aid. International assistance, which has been dramatically slashed, is now under the auspices of the US State Department.
“Hurricane Melissa is poised to unleash unspeakable harm on Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean, a tragedy which will be deepened by Donald Trump and Russell Vought’s lawlessly unilateral cessation of USAID funding," lamented Jeff Hauser, the executive director of the Revolving Door Project, in a statement Tuesday.
"Flooding risks are projected to be elevated in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, both US territories," Hauser continued. "By further expanding planet-heating fossil fuel pollution, the Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress are condemning people around the world to more frequent and severe extreme weather, including rapidly intensifying monster hurricanes."
From Your Site Articles
- 'Jamaica Will Be Unrecognizable After This': Hurricane Melissa Erupts Into Category 5 'Monster' ›
- Hurricane Melissa Is a Reminder That the Trump Administration Is Putting U.S. Residents at Risk of Catastrophic Harm ›
- 'New Year's Eve Massacre': Trump Administration Makes Deep Cuts at FEMA as Climate Crisis Accelerates | Common Dreams ›
As Jamaica was flogged Tuesday by Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 monster, climate defenders highlighted how US President Donald Trump's policies—including reckless fossil fuel expansion, eviscerating federal agencies, and slashing international aid—will deepen the devastating impacts of this and future natural disasters.
Melissa—the strongest storm to slam Jamaica since 1851—made landfall near New Hope at approximately 1:00 pm local time, with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, with significantly stronger gusts. As of 5:00 pm local time, the storm had weakened to a Category 4 as it crossed the Caribbean island's rugged mountain terrain, but still packed maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. Melissa is expected to strike Cuba next, with significant impacts also forecast for the Bahamas and Haiti.
Not only is Melissa the strongest storm to hit Jamaica—parts of which are still rebuilding following last year's devastating Hurricane Beryl—in nearly 175 years, it is also one of the fastest-intensifying storms in history.
As scientists have long predicted, planetary heating caused by human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, is driving the intensification of natural disasters including hurricanes.
According to a new study published Monday by ClimaMeter, "Compared to previous decades, meteorological conditions for cyclones like Hurricane Melissa are now more intense and potentially destructive, bringing heavier rainfall and stronger winds."
"The devastating impacts of Melissa show that fossil fuels do far more than warm the world—they make hurricanes wetter, stronger, and more violent," study co-author Davide Faranda said in a statement. "The science is clear: If emissions aren’t rapidly cut, countries like Jamaica will face storms more destructive than anything ever seen before."
However, Trump—who ran for reelection on a "drill, baby, drill" energy platform—and his fossil-friendly administration have no intention of cutting emissions, or pursuing any sort of pro-climate policies.
The Trump administration has also suppressed climate science, gutted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its forecasting infrastructure, and worked to undermine Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) operations.
Much of this has occurred under the direction of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, who co-authored the policy portion of Project 2025, a blueprint for overhauling the federal government that includes dramatic cuts to critical public programs, abolishing or gutting essential government agencies, and a litany of other far-right wish list items.
Some of those items have already been checked off the list, including shutting down the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which previously administered foreign aid. International assistance, which has been dramatically slashed, is now under the auspices of the US State Department.
“Hurricane Melissa is poised to unleash unspeakable harm on Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean, a tragedy which will be deepened by Donald Trump and Russell Vought’s lawlessly unilateral cessation of USAID funding," lamented Jeff Hauser, the executive director of the Revolving Door Project, in a statement Tuesday.
"Flooding risks are projected to be elevated in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, both US territories," Hauser continued. "By further expanding planet-heating fossil fuel pollution, the Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress are condemning people around the world to more frequent and severe extreme weather, including rapidly intensifying monster hurricanes."
From Your Site Articles
- 'Jamaica Will Be Unrecognizable After This': Hurricane Melissa Erupts Into Category 5 'Monster' ›
- Hurricane Melissa Is a Reminder That the Trump Administration Is Putting U.S. Residents at Risk of Catastrophic Harm ›
- 'New Year's Eve Massacre': Trump Administration Makes Deep Cuts at FEMA as Climate Crisis Accelerates | Common Dreams ›
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.