At landfall in western Jamaica, Melissa’s 185 mph winds and 892 mb pressure tied with the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 in the Florida Keys as the strongest on record for the Atlantic.
Historic Hurricane Melissa roared ashore over western Jamaica at 1 p.m. EDT Oct. 28 as a high-end Category 5 storm with 185 mph (295 km/h) winds and a central pressure of 892 mb. This ties Melissa with the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 in the Florida Keys as the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricane on record, for both wind and pressure. Melissa is just the 20th landfalling Cat 5 on record in the Atlantic basin. According to a rapid attribution study by Climate Central, climate change made Melissa’s winds about 10 mph (16 km/h) stronger, so this record could not have occurred without a boost from climate change.
Strongest Atlantic Category 5 landfalling hurricanes by wind speed:
1) Melissa, Oct. 28, 2025: Jamaica, 185 mph, 892 mb
1) Labor Day Hurricane, Sep. 3, 1935: Florida Keys, 185 mph, 892 mb
1) Hurricane Dorian, Sep. 1, 2019: Bahamas (Abaco Island), 185 mph, 910 mb
4) Irma, Sep. 6, 2017: Barbuda, St. Martin, British Virgin Islands, 180 mph, 914-915 mb; also Sep. 9, northern Cuba, 165 mph, 924 mb
5) Camille, Aug. 18, 1969: Mississippi, 175 mph, 900 mb
5) Dean, Aug. 21, 2007: Mexico (Yucatan) , 175 mph, 905
5) David, Aug. 31, 1979: Dominican Republic, 175 mph, 926 mb
5) Anita, Sep. 2, 1977: Mexico (north of Tampico), 175 mph, 926 mb
5) Janet, Sep. 28, 1955: Mexico (Yucatan) , 175 mph, 914 mb
10) Maria, Sep. 19, 2017: Dominica, 165 mph, 922 mb
10) Cuba Hurricane, Oct. 19, 1924: western Cuba, 165 mph, 910 mb
10) Andrew, Aug. 24, 1992: Florida, 165 mph, 922 mb; also Bahamas (Eleuthera), 160 mph, 923 mb
13) Michael, Oct. 10, 2018: Florida, 160 mph, 919 mb
13) Felix, Sep. 4, 2007: Nicaragua, 160 mph, 934 mb
13) Gilbert, Sep. 14, 1988: Mexico (Cozumel), 160 mph, 900 mb
13) Edith, Sep. 9, 1971: Nicaragua, 160 mph, 943 mb
13) Inez, Sep. 29, 1966: Dominican Republic, 160 mph, pressure unknown
13) Unnamed, Aug. 31, 1933: Bahamas (Mayaguana), 160 mph, pressure unknown
13) Unnamed, Sep. 5, 1932: Bahamas (Abaco), 160 mph, pressure unknown
13) San Filipe Hurricane, Sep. 28, 1928: Puerto Rico, 160 mph, 931 mb
A very bad day in Jamaica
Today’s punishing blow by Melissa to Jamaica will far exceed the island’s previous worst hurricane, Hurricane Gilbert of 1988. Gilbert hit the eastern end of the island as a Cat 4 with 130 mph winds, then plowed straight across Jamaica from east to west. Gilbert did $1 billion in damage ($2.7 billion 2025 USD) — about 26% of Jamaica’s GDP at the time.
Wind damage, storm surge, and inland flood damage from Melissa will all be worse than experienced during Gilbert, though Melissa’s eyewall will spare the eastern half of the island, including the most heavily populated capital region (Kingston), from extreme wind damage. Wind damage will be catastrophic over the western end of Jamaica, which has the highest proportion of poorly-built structures (see Bluesky post below)…
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