This page provides some basic, but very interesting statistics about category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic basin since 1851. Category 5 storms are extremely rare. In fact, for the Atlantic Basin (including the Gulf of Mexico and Carribbean Sea) only 34* category 5 storms (~4% of all hurricanes) are found in the historical record. In the 165 years since records began (1851), there have only been six years that contained two or more category 5 storms; the most in one season was four in 2005 (Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma).
Hurricane Milton Becomes The 5th Strongest Hurricane On Record In The Atlantic Basin
- Wilma 882Mb
- Gilbert 888Mb
- Labor Day 892Mb
- Rita 895Mb
- Milton 897Mb
Time since the last category 5
Hurricane Lorenzo on September 29, 2019
Real-time Count As of Today:
5 years, 2 months and 10 days
Note: The count begins with, and includes, the day after the last category 5 dissipated, ending with and including the day before the next category 5 developed.
The longest periods without a category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic basin:
- #1: 15 Years (1939-1953)
- #2: 9 Years (2008-2016) Discussed in the next section below
2016: Hurricane Matthew Becomes First Category 5 in over 9 Years
On the evening of Friday, September 30, 2016, following a period of rapid intensification over the Caribbean, Hurricane Matthew was upgraded to category 5 status — the first category 5 in the Atlantic basin in over 9 years (since Hurricane Felix in 2007).
Prior to Hurricane Matthew’s upgrade, the duration without a category 5 stood at: 9 years and 26 days -or- 3314 days. This was the SECOND longest period on record.
Atlantic Basin Category 5 Storms: Quick Stats
- Category 5 storms are extremely rare
- Only 4% of hurricanes reach category 5 status (based on historical data 1851 through 2016)*
- Only 34 category 5 hurricanes are found in the historical record (1851 to present = 173 years)*
- There have only been six years with two or more category 5 storms (1932, 1933, 1960, 1961, 2005, 2007)
- The most in a single season was four in 2005 (Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma)
- The majority of category 5 hurricanes have occurred in September (20 storms = 57%)*
- No category 5 storms have been recorded during the months of December through June
*Stats Updated: 10/1/16 to include Hurricane Matthew
Hurricane Felix, September 3, 2007
Category 5 Hurricanes that “Hit” the U.S.
Note: These storms were category 5 when they made landfall. There have certainly been other storms that were category 5 but weakened just before making landfall. An example is Hurricane Katrina which was a category 5 in the Gulf of Mexico, but weakened to category 3 strength prior to landfall.
- Only 5 hurricanes have made landfall in the United States as a category 5
- Hurricanes that were category 5 at the time of landfall in the United States:
- “Labor Day” storm in 1935 (Florida Keys)
- “Beulah” in 1967 (S. TX)
- “Camille” in 1969 (SE Louisiana)
- “Andrew” in 1992 (S. FL)
- “Michael” in 2018 (FL Panhandle)
Map showing the four hurricanes that made landfall in the United States as a category 5. White line segments show the portion of the storms’ track at category 5.
Monthly Distribution of Category 5 Hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin
Note: Technically there have been 34 category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic basin. However, the monthly distribution below adds up to 35 because Hurricane Matthew was upgraded to category 5 at 11 pm EDT on September 30 and was a category 5 into October; therefore, Matthew is counted twice. In the historical record, Hurricane Matthew is the only hurricane that straddles two months as a category 5.
- July: 1 (3%)
- August: 8 (23%)
- September: 20 (57%) Updated: 10/1/16 to include Hurricane Matthew
- October: 5 (14%) Updated: 10/1/16 to include Hurricane Matthew
- November: 1 (3%)
List of Category 5 Hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin
Note: For best viewing on a mobile device, view horizontally.
Click here for description of column headers
Name | Year | Start | End | Days Since | Yrs Since | Wind* | Pres* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unnamed | 1924 | 10-19 | 10-19 | -999 | -999 | 165 | 910 |
Unnamed | 1928 | 09-13 | 09-14 | 1425 | 4 | 160 | 929 |
Unnamed | 1932 | 09-05 | 09-06 | 1452 | 4 | 160 | 921 |
Unnamed | 1932 | 11-05 | 11-08 | 60 | 0 | 175 | 915 |
Unnamed | 1933 | 08-30 | 08-30 | 295 | 1 | 160 | 930 |
Unnamed | 1933 | 09-21 | 09-21 | 22 | 0 | 160 | 929 |
"Labor Day" | 1935 | 09-03 | 09-03 | 712 | 2 | 185 | 892 |
"N. England" | 1938 | 09-19 | 09-20 | 1112 | 3 | 160 | 940 |
Carol | 1953 | 09-03 | 09-03 | 5462 | 15 | 160 | 929 |
Janet | 1955 | 09-27 | 09-28 | 754 | 2 | 175 | 914 |
Cleo | 1958 | 08-16 | 08-16 | 1053 | 3 | 160 | 948 |
Donna | 1960 | 09-04 | 09-04 | 750 | 2 | 160 | 930 |
Ethel | 1960 | 09-15 | 09-15 | 11 | 0 | 160 | 972 |
Carla | 1961 | 09-11 | 09-11 | 361 | 1 | 175 | 931 |
Hattie | 1961 | 10-30 | 10-31 | 49 | 0 | 160 | 920 |
Beulah | 1967 | 09-20 | 09-20 | 2150 | 6 | 160 | 923 |
Camille | 1969 | 08-16 | 08-18 | 696 | 2 | 175 | 900 |
Edith | 1971 | 09-09 | 09-09 | 752 | 2 | 160 | 943 |
Anita | 1977 | 09-02 | 09-02 | 2185 | 6 | 175 | 926 |
David | 1979 | 08-30 | 08-31 | 727 | 2 | 175 | 924 |
Allen | 1980 | 08-05 | 08-09 | 340 | 1 | 190 | 899 |
Gilbert | 1988 | 09-13 | 09-14 | 2957 | 8 | 185 | 888 |
Hugo | 1989 | 09-15 | 09-15 | 366 | 1 | 160 | 918 |
Andrew | 1992 | 08-23 | 08-24 | 1073 | 3 | 175 | 922 |
Mitch | 1998 | 10-26 | 10-28 | 2254 | 6 | 180 | 905 |
Isabel | 2003 | 09-11 | 09-14 | 1779 | 5 | 165 | 915 |
Ivan | 2004 | 09-09 | 09-14 | 361 | 1 | 165 | 910 |
Emily | 2005 | 07-16 | 07-16 | 305 | 1 | 160 | 929 |
Katrina | 2005 | 08-28 | 08-29 | 43 | 0 | 175 | 902 |
Rita | 2005 | 09-21 | 09-22 | 23 | 0 | 180 | 895 |
Wilma | 2005 | 10-19 | 10-19 | 27 | 0 | 185 | 882 |
Dean | 2007 | 08-18 | 08-21 | 668 | 2 | 175 | 905 |
Felix | 2007 | 09-03 | 09-04 | 13 | 0 | 175 | 929 |
Matthew | 2016 | 09-30 | 10-01 | 3314 | 9 | 160 | 934 |
Data pulled from the HURDAT database.
Atlantic Basin Category 5 Hurricane Tracks Since 1851
Category 5 Hurricanes 1851 to 2014.
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