What to Know About Hurricane Melissa as a Florida Homeowner

In late October of 2025, all eyes were on Hurricane Melissa. Fort Lauderdale residents were perhaps especially wary of this extreme weather event, given the area’s experiences with property destruction. Will this hurricane make landfall in Florida? Will your insurance cover the damage? Even if you avoid this hurricane, what happens when the next major storm arrives? These are questions you might want to explore with your Fort Lauderdale property insurance lawyer.

Melissa Did Not Hit Florida. But It Shows How Destructive the Next Storm Could Be

Although Hurricane Melissa did not make landfall in Florida, it still shows homeowners what the next hurricane might be like in places like Fort Lauderdale. ABC News called Melissa “one of the strongest storms” in recorded history. It caused widespread destruction and death in Jamaica after making landfall with wind speeds of 185 miles per hour. It matches historic storms like Dorian and the Labor Day Hurricane in terms of wind speeds.

Dozens were killed by Hurricane Melissa, and these deaths occurred throughout nations like Cuba, Jamaica, and Haiti. The most deaths seem to have occurred in Haiti, with 25 confirmed deaths and a further 18 missing. Eight additional deaths occurred in Jamaica, although this death count may rise as officials take stock of the situation. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes across the Caribbean, and many of these people are now homeless due to the destruction caused by the storm.

It May Be Too Late to Upgrade Your Property Insurance

As Florida is in the middle of hurricane season, it is difficult, if not impossible, to alter your property insurance or purchase a new policy. This is a long-standing approach by insurers to ban changes or new policies in the middle of hurricane season. However, you might want to check with your insurer anyway if you’d like to upgrade your flood insurance, for example. Each insurer is slightly different in the way that it approaches this issue.

Although federal programs like FEMA can provide some compensation for those who do not have adequate coverage, this compensation is not altogether reliable. If you find yourself with inadequate insurance as a major hurricane approaches, the best thing you can do is keep an eye on weather reports and prepare accordingly. This might include protecting your windows, placing sandbags, and taking other steps.

Contact Our Fort Lauderdale Property Insurance Lawyers Today

At Geyer Fuxa Tyler, our legal team is made up of a diverse combination of attorneys who are well-positioned to protect the legal rights and financial interests of policyholders. If your property insurance claim was denied, we can help. For a free consultation, please call us today at (954) 990-5251. With an office in Sunrise, we represent policyholders in Broward County and throughout the state of Florida.

Sources:

 cbc.ca/news/world/hurricane-melissa-bahamas-cuba-jamaica-9.6957826

nbcnews.com/weather/hurricanes/hurricane-melissa-new-normal-major-hurricanes-rcna240312