The News Meeting Why is Hurricane Melissa so strong?
Oct 29, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Erica Wagner, Deputy Comment Editor at The Observer, explores the impact of climate change on Hurricane Melissa and its record strength. Jessica Hayden, Assistant Sports Editor, shares harrowing details about the storm's devastation in Jamaica and its long-term humanitarian effects. Investigative reporter Chloe Hadjimatheou delves into U.S. military actions near Venezuela, questioning political motives and influences. Together, they tackle pressing issues of climate, geopolitics, and media ethics in a rapidly changing world.
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Melissa's Immediate Impact And Reporting Needs
- Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with winds up to 185 mph and caused immediate, severe destruction.
- The episode urges reporting that combines urgent human stories with longer-term analysis of rebuilding, aid and climate links.
Personal Ties Bring The Storm Home
- Chloe Hadjimatheou shared that her mother and grandmother in Jamaica were preparing and checking on neighbours ahead of Melissa, recalling memories of Storm Gilbert (1988).
- She described how long outages and infrastructure damage from past storms affected schooling and daily life.
Layer Disaster Reporting Over Time
- Report disasters in layers: immediate human stories, then medium-term impacts, then long-term reconstruction and policy analysis.
- Stay on the ground and revisit months later to show how rebuilding and climate adaptation progress.
