See how Hurricane Melissa, among strongest on record, compares with historic storms

Hurricane Melissa, with sustained winds of up to 185 mph and gusts of more than 200 mph, is riding the momentum of a low barometric pressure that ranks among the most powerful in recorded storm history. Melissa broke the record for strongest Jamaican hurricane landfall set by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 with its 130 mph winds.

Catastrophic flash flooding and landslides continue in Jamaica and Cuba which each received more than two feet of rain in certain areas, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is expected to continue delivering damaging winds, flooding rains, and dangerous storm surge as it moves over eastern Cuba and toward the Bahamas.

Here's a closer look at the storm as it approached Jamaica's coast, and how it compares with past hurricanes:

Hurricane Melissa is the third-strongest storm on record

Melissa's pressure dropped to 892 mb early Tuesday. That tied the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 for the third-lowest pressure for an Atlantic hurricane on record. Only Wilma in 2005 at 882 mb and Gilbert in 1988 at 888 mb were lower.

MB stands for millibars, a unit of atmospheric pressure. It is a key indicator of a hurricane's strength: The lower the millibar reading, the stronger the storm. That's because a lower pressure inside the storm's eye creates a larger pressure difference with the surrounding atmosphere, driving stronger winds. Here's look at how Melissa compares with historic storms:

What's the worst hurricane in history?

Melissa is among only three Atlantic storms to make landfall with winds estimated at 185 mph. One of the other storms that reached those wind speeds at landfall is known as the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, considered the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. The 1935 storm ripped through the Florida Keys, causing destruction and killing more than 400 people.

What are the wind speeds of a Category 5 hurricane?

When forecasters give the category strength for hurricanes, they're referring to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, a 1 to 5 rating that is based on the hurricane's maximum sustained wind speed. The scale estimates potential property damage in the path of a hurricane.

Melissa's Category 5 rating is the highest on the scale and portends building collapses, fallen trees and power lines, and outages that could last for weeks or months. A Category 5 hurricane's wind speed range begins at 157 mph.

Here's a look the scale and what each rating means for property damage:

For decades, storm research has been done aboard aircraft flown by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, also known as the Hurricane Hunters of the Air Force Reserve.

A U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter mission was forced to return to its operating location early Oct. 28 after experiencing "forces stronger than normal due to turbulence," the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron announced in a post on X. Safety procedures require an inspection before returning to normal procedures. 

After leaving Cuba, Melissa will likely face increasing southwesterly vertical shear, leading to steady weakening, but it's expected to remain at hurricane strength when it passes near Bermuda. Storm surge of 5 to 8 ft above normally dry ground is possible in the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.

This is developing story that may be updated.

Sources: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; NOAA; Storyful

Contributing: Doyle Rice