Hurricane Melissa retired in major milestone for the Atlantic
The destructive storm killed dozens of people in the Caribbean in October 2025
We'll never see another Hurricane Melissa in the Atlantic Ocean.
Experts with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently announced that they’ve retired the name from future use during an Atlantic hurricane season.
Melissa’s retirement marks the 100th time a name has been discontinued from use in the Atlantic basin since the middle of the 20th century.
DON’T MISS: 305 km/h: Hurricane Melissa ties as strongest Atlantic hurricane
Hurricane Melissa roared into western Jamaica on Oct. 28, 2025, with maximum sustained winds of 300 km/h, becoming one of the strongest hurricanes ever observed at landfall.
The storm peaked earlier that morning with maximum winds of 305 km/h, tying 1980’s Hurricane Allen for the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.
Officials reported dozens of deaths throughout the region as a result of the storm’s destructive winds and flooding. A final report from NOAA indicated that Melissa caused more than $9 billion USD in damages.
RELATED: How do Atlantic hurricanes get their names?
The WMO is responsible for standardizing tropical cyclone names around the world. Countries can petition the agency to discontinue using the name of a storm that causes widespread damage or casualties.
Melissa is the 100th storm in the Atlantic basin to see its name retired since 1954. The name will be replaced by Molly when 2025’s list of names is reused for the 2031 hurricane season.
Forecasters began the modern practice of naming storms in 1953. Today’s alternating lists of storm names came into use starting in 1979.
Header image courtesy of NOAA.