As we reported earlier, Melissa ranks as the most powerful hurricane ever to make a direct strike on Jamaica.

Across the broader Atlantic, however, Melissa stood out for several extraordinary reasons:

It matched the record for the strongest hurricane to make landfall anywhere in the Atlantic basin, with sustained winds reaching 185 mph.

With a central pressure of 892 mb, Melissa also equaled the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane as the most intense landfalling storm on record.

In addition, Hurricane Hunter aircraft — which collect vital data by flying directly into storms — recorded an instantaneous wind gust of 252 mph just above the ocean surface before Melissa made landfall. Continues…