Article last updated: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, 2 p.m. ET

Just days ago, Hannah Grubbs — who ignored warnings of the Category 5 hurricane and flew to Jamaica regardless — shared a video of herself ordering drinks at a bar and wrote, “pretending there’s not a category 5 hurricane hitting.

The capitals and exclamation points are warranted. Hurricane Melissa is an extraordinary storm, even among the many massive, fast-growing, devastating cyclones that have been erupting in the Atlantic Ocean in recent years.

It also marks the first time in 20 years that three or more Category 5 hurricanes have developed over the Atlantic Basin in one season. The last time was in 2005, when Hurricanes Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma all reached Category 5—breaking a record.

Matthew Cappucci, a senior meteorologist at MyRadar and storm chaser, spoke with NBC News’ Kate Snow about his experience flying into the eye of Hurricane Melissa aboard a NOAA aircraft and the concerns over the Category 5 storm making landfall.

Up to 40 inches of rain, 13 feet of storm surge and 160 mph sustained winds will cause “extensive infrastructure damage” that will cut off communities, the National Hurricane Center warned. Melissa has already killed three people in Haiti and Jamaica each and one person in the Dominican Republic.