AUSTIN (KXAN) — Hurricane Melissa battered Jamaica with violent winds, damaging storm surge and torrential rain this week, coming ashore as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record in the Atlantic Ocean. Here’s a look at some other notable storms that Melissa is joining the record books.
Lowest pressure
The hurricane with the lowest central pressure on record was Hurricane Wilma (2005).
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aircraft measured a pressure of 882 millibars at the hurricane’s center on October 19, the lowest pressure ever measured in an Atlantic hurricane.
Stronger winds
The hurricane with the strongest winds on record was Hurricane Allen (1980).
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reconnaissance aircraft recorded maximum wind speeds of 190 mph as Allen was moving across the Yucatán River and entering the bay.
Hurricane Allen will later make landfall on August 10 northeast of Brownsville, Texas, on the southern tip of Padre Island as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph.
Most precipitation
The hurricane with the highest rainfall total was Hurricane Harvey (2017).
Hurricane Harvey came ashore in Rockport, Texas, as a Category 4 storm on August 25, 2017. The slow movement of the storm, almost constant at 5 mph, produced catastrophic rainfall. The highest total rainfall report from Harvey was 60.58.”
Loudest thunderstorm
The hurricane with the highest storm surge on record was Hurricane Katrina (2005).
Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, as a powerful Category 3 storm with winds of up to 127 mph and a central pressure of 920 millibars. Storm surge was estimated at between 24 and 28 feet along the western Mississippi coast.
Other notables:
- Hurricane Michael (2018): 9-14 minutes – Florida
- Hurricane Laura (2020): 12-18 minutes – Louisiana
- Hurricane Ida (2021): 9-14 min – Louisiana
- Hurricane Ian (2022): 10-15 minutes – Florida
Faster intensification
The hurricane with the fastest intensification rate is Hurricane Milton (2024).
Hurricane Milton went from a tropical depression (35 mph) to a Category 5 hurricane (160 mph) in less than 49 hours.
The most expensive hurricane
The most expensive hurricane ever recorded is Hurricane Katrina (2005).
Hurricane Katrina (CAT 3) left at least 80% of New Orleans under water, destroying thousands of homes. When adjusted for inflation, Hurricane Katrina cost more than $201.3 billion in damages. Katrina was also one of the deadliest hurricanes on record, claiming 1,392 lives.
The most active hurricane season
Most active hurricane season in the Atlantic on record – 2020.
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season featured 30 named storms, 11 of which made landfall in the continental United States. Of the 30 named storms, 14 became hurricanes (winds over 74 mph), and of those 14, 7 became major hurricanes (winds over 111 mph).
The old record was 28 storms in the notorious 2005 season.
Where does Hurricane Melissa (2025) fit in?
Although the data will need further verification before it is official, Hurricane Melissa (2025) will likely enter the record books as tied for the second strongest sustained winds (185 mph) and associated with the third lowest central pressure (892 mb).
