Hurricane Melissa: Record-Breaking Storm
Melissa struck Jamaica as the most powerful hurricane ever to hit the island directly. Across the Atlantic, it tied the record for the strongest hurricane landfall in the basin, with sustained winds of 185 mph and a central pressure of 892 mb—matching the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. Hurricane Hunter aircraft recorded a 252 mph wind gust over the ocean, just shy of the world record 253 mph set by Cyclone Olivia in 1996.
 
			 
			 
			 
			