Hurricane Melissa Ties Historic Atlantic Wind Records and Sets Global Gust Benchmark
Miami, Wednesday, 25 February 2026.
The National Hurricane Center has officially confirmed that Hurricane Melissa, which struck in October 2025, tied the record for the strongest sustained winds in Atlantic history at 190 mph. In a startling revelation for meteorologists and risk analysts alike, the post-storm analysis verified a wind gust of 252 mph near Jamaica—the highest ever recorded in a tropical cyclone worldwide. This atmospheric violence resulted in catastrophic economic devastation, costing Jamaica an estimated $8.8 billion, equivalent to 41% of its GDP. These figures not only rewrite the record books but also serve as a stark indicator of increasing climatic volatility, necessitating immediate reassessments in disaster recovery planning and insurance risk modeling for vulnerable coastal regions.
Rewriting the Atlantic Record Books
The National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) post-storm analysis, released following the October 2025 devastation, has solidified Hurricane Melissa’s status as a meteorological anomaly [1]. By reaching peak sustained winds of 190 mph, the storm officially shares the title for the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record with Hurricane Allen from 1980 [1]. Furthermore, its landfall intensity was equally historic; striking with sustained winds of 185 mph, Melissa tied the benchmarks set by the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane and Hurricane Dorian in 2019 for the most powerful Atlantic landfall ever documented [1].
A New Global Benchmark for Turbulence
Beyond sustained wind speeds, the analysis uncovered a new global benchmark for atmospheric turbulence. Data captured by a NOAA Hurricane Hunters dropsonde—an instrument deployed directly into the storm’s eyewall—verified a wind gust of 252 mph just above the surface near the Jamaican coast [1]. This figure, validated after months of quality control, surpasses the previous world record of 248 mph established by Typhoon Megi in 2010 [1]. Such extreme measurements highlight the exceptional energy contained within the system as it traversed the Caribbean [1].
A Convergence of Historical Extremes
The storm’s barometric pressure readings further illustrate its unprecedented intensity. Melissa achieved a minimum central pressure of 892 mb, placing it in a tie with the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane for the third-lowest pressure ever measured in the Atlantic basin [1][2]. At the moment of landfall, the pressure registered at 897 mb, standing as the second-lowest landfall pressure on record, eclipsed only by the 1935 storm’s 892 mb mark [1]. These metrics confirm Melissa’s classification as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale [2].
Economic Shockwaves and Humanitarian Crisis
The physical power of Hurricane Melissa translated into profound economic and humanitarian consequences, particularly for Jamaica. The storm is responsible for 95 confirmed fatalities across the Caribbean region [1][2]. In Jamaica alone, the financial toll is estimated at $8.8 billion [1]. To put this figure into perspective relative to the island’s economy, this damage encompasses 41% of Jamaica’s 2024 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [1]. The NHC report describes the scale of destruction as among the worst ever recorded for the nation, with infrastructure damage, collapsed homes, and ruined hospitals creating a nationwide crisis [1].
Ongoing Recovery and Future Implications
Recovery efforts remain active as of February 2026, with the report noting that relief operations are still ongoing months after the event [1]. The slow motion of the storm exacerbated the damage by producing heavy rainfall and catastrophic flooding across the Greater Antilles, compounding the wind-related destruction [2]. As reinsurance markets and policymakers review these findings, the data from Hurricane Melissa will likely serve as a critical baseline for future risk modeling in the Caribbean [GPT].