The strongest hurricane in nearly 200 years hit Jamaica on October 28, 2025. Moving slowly and lingering on the island, the powerful Category 5 storm flooded communities, hauled trees out of the ground, destroyed power lines, shattered windows, and tore roofs off of homes and other buildings - sometimes even causing the buildings to collapse.
Upwards of 530,000 people are without electricity, and nearly 15,000 people have been displaced and are now living in shelters. Four people have died. The World Meteorological Organization
has called Hurricane Melissa the
"Storm of the Century."But it only got this bad because of climate change. Sign the petition to demand debt relief and assistance from the U.S., Russia, China, and other nations that are top contributors to climate change!Extreme winds and rainfall pummeled the whole region, leaving neighboring Caribbean countries like Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic also reeling from destruction. Floods in Haiti dragged away 25 people, who died. In Cuba, around 735,000 people have been evacuated and displaced from their homes. At least one person is still missing in the Dominican Republic.
There's a reason Hurricane Melissa became a mega-storm, and that reason is climate change. Experts around the world are in agreement that this hurricane's brutality is almost certainly directly related to how climate change is causing ocean water to heat up dramatically. This hurricane wasn't only intense - it also strengthened
quickly. In only around 24 hours, its punishing wind speeds grew from 70mph to 140mph, doubling in speed.
That's why leaders of Caribbean countries are banding together to demand
proper accountability for this destruction.
Since global warming made this storm so potent, these leaders are asking high-polluting, wealthy nations to help with their countries' recovery processes through debt relief and aid. We must elevate their request!
Sign the petition to demand that top-polluting countries like the U.S., Russia, China, India, and Brazil contribute to aid funds and debt relief for Caribbean countries stricken by Hurricane Melissa! 