Insurers brace for potentially record-breaking losses as Bill Gates says 'don't panic' over climate

Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, tore across Jamaica on Tuesday with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, flattening homes, uprooting trees, and cutting power to large parts of the island. The Category 5 system — moving north-northeast at just eight miles per hour — brought what meteorologists called a “catastrophic combination” of wind and flooding that could take days to fully assess.

Officials warned that the storm’s slow movement would amplify the damage. “Jamaica, this is not the time to be brave,” said Desmond McKenzie, the minister coordinating disaster response. “Don’t bet against Melissa. It is a bet we can’t win.”

Melissa made landfall near New Hope, on Jamaica’s southwestern coast, at midday. By late afternoon, the storm’s eye had