These a list of the most powerful hurricanes EVER. Compare the devastation by the categories 3-5 to their 1-2 counterparts.
Sure, when hurricanes hit landfall their windspeed drop and category changes. That goes without saying. But, that doesn't change the fact that the reason for category 3-5 is because those storms are expected to inflict the most damage if they are category 3-5 at landfall.
This is the list:
http://www.hurricaneville.com/historic.htmlHurricane Dean--The fourth named storm of the 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season not only became the first hurricane, but also the first major hurricane of that season. Forming in the Eastern Atlantic on August 13th, it was the first real Cape Verde storm of 2007. Gradually strengthening, Dean grew to have maximum sustained winds as high as 165 miles per hour with gusts up to 200 miles per hour, which classified it as a Category Five Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Its minimum pressure dropped as low as 906 millibars, or 26.75 inches of Hg (Mercury), which was stronger than Hurricane Ivan back in September 2004, and right behind hurricanes Camille (1969) and Mitch (1998) among the all time most powerful storms recorded in the Atlantic. Dean also became the third most intense hurricane to make landfall in the Atlantic Basin behind the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, and Hurricane Gilbert. Following a similar track to that of both Ivan in 2004 and Gilbert in 1988, Dean moved through the central portion of the Lesser Antilles including Dominica and Martinique, then moved south of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Hispaniola before battering the island nation of Jamaica as its eye just brushed its southermost point. The storm also bypassed the Cayman Island chain before coming ashore in the Yucatan Peninsula near the towns of Costa Maya and Majahual, which is 40 miles to the East-Northeast of Chetumal at 4:30 PM EDT on August 21, 2007. After being over the Yucatan for about twelve hours, the storm re-emerged in the Bay of Campeche as a minimal hurricane, but gradually re-strengthened to a Category Two storm with 100 mph winds when it made a second landfall along the Mexican coastline in the early afternoon of August 22, 2007 near Gutierrez Zamora some 40 miles South-Southeast of Tuxpan. The latest death toll has the storm leaving behind forty-five people dead including twenty-five in Mexico, and twenty throughout the Caribbean including nine in Haiti, six in the Dominican Republic, two in Dominica, two in Jamaica, and one in St. Lucia. The storm has so far caused some $2 billion in damage including a battering of the oil fields for the Mexican national oil company, PEMEX, and shutting down a plant run in Jamaica by Pittsburgh based Aluminum producer, Alcoa.
Hurricane Felix--The fifth named storm of the 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season not only became the second hurricane, and major hurricane of that season, but also the season's second Category Five Hurricane. Forming over two weeks after Hurricane Dean in the Eastern Atlantic on August 31st, it was the second Cape Verde storm of 2007. Rapidly strengthening in the very warm waters of the Southern Caribbean during the Labor Day Weekend, Felix grew to have maximum sustained winds as high as 165 miles per hour with gusts up to 200 miles per hour, which classified it as a Category Five Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. After the storm experienced a fall of 78 millibars in 52 hours, Felix's minimum pressure dropped as low as 929 millibars, or 27.43 inches of Hg (Mercury) which was stronger as Hurricane Michelle from late October, 2001 and as strong as Hurricane Emily from July, 2005 among the all time most powerful storms recorded in the Atlantic. Its pressure drop is second all time to Hurricane Wilma from October 2005, which was 83 millibars in 12 hours, and ahead of Hurricane Allen (1980). Following a similar track to that of both Ivan in 2004 and Emily in 2005, Felix moved through the southern Windwards including Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and their dependencies, then moved well south of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Hispaniola before threatening the usually unscathed ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao in the Nertherlands Antilles. The storm eventually bypassed Jamaica and the Caymans as well as the Colombian enclave of Isla de Providencia before coming ashore on the Northern Coast of Nicaragua near the city of Cabo Gracias A Dios as a Category Five Hurricane with sustained winds of 160 miles per hour, and a minimum central pressure of 935 millibars, or 27.61 inches. The storm then proceeded to cross Central America with heavy rains that produced flooding and mudslides in interior portions of Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and the Chiapas region of Southern Mexico. As of now, Felix is responsible for 130 deaths along coastal Nicaragua. Prior to landfall, Felix had reintensified into a Cat Five storm after weakening to a minimal Category Four storm with 135 mile per hour winds, and 160 mile per hour gusts late Sunday, September 2nd.
Hurricane Humberto--Putting this storm on the list is debatable. However, Hurricane Humberto from the 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season is significant for several reasons. First, it was a storm that went from depression status to a Category One Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale with 85 mile per hour winds over a span of just 14 hours. In addition, the storm's formation in the oil platform rich area of the Western Gulf of Mexico pushed oil prices up to over $80 per barrel. Finally, and most significantly, Humberto's landfall was the first landfall by an Atlantic Hurricane along the U.S. coastline since Hurricane Wilma back in October 2005. The storm crossed the Texas shoreline near High Point, Texas, and peaked at 85 mile per hour winds, 105 mile per hour wind gusts, and a barometric pressure as low as 29.12 inches of Hg (Mercury), or 986 millibars. The storm left approximately $500 million dollars in damage in Texas and Louisiana.
Hurricane Noel--Like Humberto, it was a minimal storm, but this Category One Hurricane was the deadliest and most costly hurricane of the 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The storm, which formed 185 miles South-Southeast of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti left some 163 people dead as well as 59 missing. In addition, Noel left behind some $742 million in damages including $500 million on the island of Cuba alone. Maximum sustained winds were 80 miles per hour with gusts up to 95 miles per hour. Minimum central pressure dropped to 28.94 inches, or 980 millibars.
Tropical Storm Fay--The storm was the first in a series of four storms to affect the United States over a span of a month. This one was the weakest of the four, but it did cause its share of problems with torrential rains, especially across Florida. Flooding was extensive in East Central Florida including Brevard county. In that county, some 15,000 homes were flooded and another 93,000 were left without power from the gusty winds. Areas that were hit harder were more rural. The storm also wreaked havoc in Hispaniola where it interacted with the mountainous terrain there producing torrential rains. Thankfully, there were only 13 direct and eight indirect deaths from the storm in Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Florida. The storm caused some $560 million dollars in damage including $195 million in Florida, $25 million in Georgia, and another $25 million in Alabama.
Hurricane Gustav--Almost three years to the day that Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast, Gustav emerged in the Caribbean where it pounded Western Cuba before moving into the Gulf, and giving another scare to residents in Louisiana and Mississippi. The storm strengthened to near Category Five strength with 155 mile per hour winds. Barometric pressure in the eye of the storm dropped to 27.79 inches of Hg, or about 941 millibars. The storm made six total landfalls including four as a hurricane. Gustav moved over the Isle of Youth near Cuba with winds of 145 miles per hour. It made another landfall in Cuba near Los Palacios with 155 mile per hour winds. The storm eventually came ashore along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. near Cocodrie, Louisiana with winds of Category Two strength of 105 miles per hour. Gustav left some 153 people dead and approximately $4.3 billion in damage.
Hurricane Hanna--Formed on the heels of Hurricane Gustav, but didn't have the same punch of her predecessor. Peaking at moderate Category One strength with 85 mile per hour winds. However, it still caused a great deal of death and destruction in the Caribbean. The storm took a track that eventually took it up the Eastern Seaboard during the weekend after Labor Day. Hanna was briefly a hurricane when it was over the Caicos Islands. It made a United States landfall as a tropical storm over the border between North and South Carolina. The storm was a major rainmaker bringing torrential rains to Haiti, where nearly 800 people were killed by flooding from the storm. Hanna eventually impacted the Garden State, where it actually strengthend for a while to have 55 mile per hour winds near Atlantic City. It dumped torrential rains on New Jersey along with gusty winds. In total, the storm caused some $160 million in damage.
Hurricane Ike--This storm was the most significant of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season. It was the first big storm to make landfall in Galveston, Texas since Hurricane Alicia in 1983. The storm is also the third costliest storm in U.S. history with estimates between 25 and 29 billion dollars. Only Hurricane Katrina (2005) and Hurricane Andrew (1992) were more devastating. The storm peaked at Category Four strength with 145 mile per hour winds and a minimum central pressure of 27.61 inches of Hg, or 935 millibars. When it came ashore at Galveston, Ike had winds of 110 miles per hour, and a minimum central pressure of 950 millibars, or 28.05 inches of Hg. The hurricane made several landfalls including two in Cuba, and one in the Bahamas before coming ashore in Texas. After blowing through Galveston, Ike wasn't finished as its remnants moved into the Midwest and Ohio Valley. There, at least 28 direct and indirect deaths were reported in Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. In total, Ike left 103 people dead. In Ohio, the storm rivaled the Super Outbreak of 1974 as the costliest natural disaster in state history with $1.1 billion in damage. The remnants of Ike even made an impact on Canada where 50 mile per hour winds downed power lines in Southeastern Ontario and Quebec.
Hurricane Paloma--Was the last named storm and hurricane of the 2008 season. Affecting the Western Caribbean, Paloma became the second strongest hurricane on record in the Atlantic during the month of November behind Hurricane Lenny (1999). The storm peaked at Category Four strength with 145 mile per hour winds and a minimum central pressure of 27.88 inches of Hg, or about 944 millibars. Paloma affected the Cayman Islands and Western Cuba, where it made two landfalls near Santa Cruz del Sur and Camaguey. Maximum sustained winds at landfall were 85 knots or 100 miles per hour while minimum central pressure was 970 millibars, or 28.64 inches of Hg. While the storm was not blamed directly or indirectly for any deaths, it did cause $15 to $20 million dollars in damage in the Caymans with the heaviest damage there to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Cuba suffered some $300 million in damage with over 12,000 homes damaged, and another 1,500 destroyed.
Hurricane Igor--A vast and powerful Cape Verde storm, Igor eventually became the strongest hurricane of the 2010 season. At peak intensity, Igor was a strong Category Four storm on the cusp of Cat Five intensity with sustained winds of 155 miles per hour. The storm went through several flucutations in intensity thanks to eyewall replacement cycles, but remained resilient. Eventually made landfall in Bermuda as a Category One hurricane before slamming into Newfoundland as a stronger storm, which turned out to be the most devastating in that Canadian province's history. At one point, Igor had a wind field that was 740 nautical miles across according to a report filed on it by the National Hurricane Center. The storm lasted 15 days, and had a minimum central pressure of 924 millibars, or 27.29 inches of Hg. Three people were killed either directly or indirectly by the storm, which also caused approximately $200 million dollars in damage in Newfoundland. Igor's name was retired in 2011, and replaced by Ian for the 2016 season.
Hurricane Irene--The ninth named storm of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season was the only storm to be retired from that season. It was a major hurricane that fell just shy of Category Four intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Irene was the first landfalling hurricane in the United States since 2008 when Hurricane Ike crashed into Galveston. The storm lashed the Bahamas before taking aim on the East Coast of the United States. Irene put New York City under a Hurricane Warning for the first time since 1985. The storm was the only the third hurricane to make landfall in New Jersey, and the first to make two landfalls there. The storm was the first to cross New York City since 1893. NYC had to shut down the subway system for the first time in that city's history. Hurricane Irene would be remembered for the tremendous flooding it caused in New York, New Jersey, and Vermont. Approximately 65 million people were affected by the storm. A total of 21 people were killed across 8 different states. Pressure dropped to 970 millibars or 28.63 inches of Hg, which is a record for South Plainfield, New Jersey. Irene also dumped 5.34 inches in Northwestern Middlesex County adding to an already waterlogged August rainfall total. The storm also affected the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where it made its first landfall on August 26th. In the Tar-Heel State, some 225 roads and 21 bridges were shut down while two piers were destroyed. Initial insurance estimates had Irene causing some $10 billion dollars in damage while power companies guessed that approximately 4.5 million people were without power from the storm. Flooding and downed trees closed roads in Delaware; Tornado caused damage in the city of Lewes. Downed trees and power lines along with flooding closed about 200 roads in parts of Maryland. Widespread flooding, storm surge of up to 8 feet in Norfolk, and 11 inches of rain in Suffolk in Virginia.
Tropical Storm Lee--Was not a powerful storm, but it was a tremendous rain maker, especially by the time it got into the Mid-Atlantic, where its remnants dumped torrential rains on the Susquehanna Valley region of New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Places such as Binghamton (New York), Scranton (Pennsylvania), Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania), and many towns and villages along the long flowing river, experience historic flooding. New Jersey wasn't spared either with some downpours from the outer fringes of what was left of Lee adding almost another five inches of rain to areas of the Garden State that didn't need it.
Hurricane Ernesto--The fifth named storm of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season was not particularly a powerful, deadly, or devastating storm. However, it was the first hurricane to make landfdall anywhere in the Atlantic Basin, and it had the unique distinction of being a rare Atlantic storm that crossed Mexico to become a system in the Eastern Pacific (Tropical Storm Hector). Peak intensity with Ernesto was only 85 mile per hour winds as it lashed much of the Southern Yucatan.
