Category Five Hurricanes – Atlantic Basin

Category Five Hurricanes - Atlantic Basin
Satellite image of Hurricane Wilma at peak intensity near the Yucatan Peninsula in October 2005.

Category Five on the Saffir-Simpson Scale is the optimum level that a hurricane can reach.  Although the numbers of such storms have increased in recent years, it is still quite hard to reach that peak level.  Conditions have to be just right for such storms to develop and sustain themselves for long periods of time.  There are 42 such storms that have developed in the Atlantic Basin since records began.  Take a look at how these storms rank in terms of duration, peak winds, and minimum pressure.

  • Duration – Longest Lasting
  • Intensity – Peak Winds
  • Intensity – Minimum Pressure

    • Category Five Hurricanes – Longest Lasting

    Storm Name Date(s) of Category 5 intensity Duration at Category 5 (hours)
    Camaguey Hurricane of 1932 November 5–8, 1932 78.00
    Irma September 5–9, 2017 72.00
    Allen August 5–9, 1980 72.00
    Ivan September 9–14, 2004 60.00
    Isabel September 11–14, 2003 42.00
    Mitch October 26–28, 1998 42.00
    David August 30–31, 1979 42.00
    Dorian September 1–2, 2019 30.00
    Camille August 16–18, 1969 30.00
    Maria September 18–20, 2017 28.25
    Milton October 7–9, 2024 26.08
    Abaco Hurricane of 1932 September 5–6, 1932 24.00
    Felix September 3–4, 2007 24.00
    Inez September 28–29, 1966 24.00
    Rita September 21–22, 2005 24.00
    Gilbert September 13–14, 1988 24.00
    Dean August 18–21, 2007 24.00
    Janet September 27–28, 1955 18.00
    Long Island Express of 1938 September 19–20, 1938 18.00
    Katrina August 28–29, 2005 18.00
    Wilma October 19, 2005 18.00
    Esther September 17, 1961 18.00
    The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 September 13, 1944 18.00
    Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 September 3, 1935 18.00
    Andrew August 23–24, 1992 16.00
    Beryl July 2, 2024 15.00
    Lake Okeechobee Hurricane September 13-14, 1928 12.00
    Matthew October 1, 2016 12.00
    Anita September 2, 1977 12.00
    Carol September 3, 1953 12.00
    Tampico Hurricane of 1943 September 21, 1933 12.00
    Cuba-Brownsville Hurricane of 1933 August 30, 1933 12.00
    The Cuba Hurricane of 1924 October 19, 1924 12.00
    Lee September 8, 2023 6.00
    Ian September 28, 2022 6.00
    Emily July 16, 2005 6.00
    Hugo September 15, 1989 6.00
    Edith September 9, 1971 6.00
    Beulah September 20, 1967 6.00
    Hattie October 31, 1961 6.00
    Lorenzo September 29, 2019 3.00
    Michael October 10, 2018 0.50
    Table 1: Longest Lasting Category Five Hurricanes

    Category Five Hurricanes – Peak Winds

    Storm Name Date(s) of Category 5 intensity Peak Wind Speed (mph)
    Allen August 5–9, 1980 190
    Dorian September 1–2, 2019 185
    Gilbert September 13–14, 1988 185
    Wilma October 19, 2005 185
    Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 September 3, 1935 185
    Irma September 5–9, 2017 180
    Mitch October 26–28, 1998 180
    Milton October 7–9, 2024 180
    Rita September 21–22, 2005 180
    Camaguey Hurricane of 1932 November 5–8, 1932 175
    David August 30–31, 1979 175
    Camille August 16–18, 1969 175
    Maria September 18–20, 2017 175
    Felix September 3–4, 2007 175
    Dean August 18–21, 2007 175
    Janet September 27–28, 1955 175
    Katrina August 28–29, 2005 175
    Andrew August 23–24, 1992 175
    Anita September 2, 1977 175
    Ivan September 9–14, 2004 165
    Isabel September 11–14, 2003 165
    Beryl July 2, 2024 165
    Matthew October 1, 2016 165
    The Cuba Hurricane of 1924 October 19, 1924 165
    Lee September 8, 2023 165
    Hattie October 31, 1961 165
    Abaco Hurricane of 1932 September 5–6, 1932 160
    Inez September 28–29, 1966 160
    Long Island Express of 1938 September 19–20, 1938 160
    Esther September 17, 1961 160
    The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 September 13, 1944 160
    Lake Okeechobee Hurricane September 13-14, 1928 160
    Carol September 3, 1953 160
    Tampico Hurricane of 1943 September 21, 1933 160
    Cuba-Brownsville Hurricane of 1933 August 30, 1933 160
    Ian September 28, 2022 160
    Emily July 16, 2005 160
    Hugo September 15, 1989 160
    Edith September 9, 1971 160
    Beulah September 20, 1967 160
    Lorenzo September 29, 2019 160
    Michael October 10, 2018 160
    Erin August 16, 2025 160
    Table 2: Category Five Hurricanes ranked by peak winds.

    Category Five Hurricanes – Lowest Pressure

    Storm Name Date(s) of Category 5 intensity Minimum Pressure (mb) Minimum Pressure (in Hg)
    Wilma October 19, 2005 882 26.05
    Gilbert September 13–14, 1988 888 26.22
    Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 September 3, 1935 892 26.34
    Milton October 7–9, 2024 895 26.43
    Rita September 21–22, 2005 895 26.43
    Allen August 5–9, 1980 899 26.55
    Camille August 16–18, 1969 900 26.58
    Katrina August 28–29, 2005 902 26.64
    Mitch October 26–28, 1998 905 26.72
    Dean August 18–21, 2007 905 26.72
    Maria September 18–20, 2017 908 26.81
    Dorian September 1–2, 2019 910 26.87
    Ivan September 9–14, 2004 910 26.87
    The Cuba Hurricane of 1924 October 19, 1924 910 26.87
    Irma September 5–9, 2017 914 26.99
    Janet September 27–28, 1955 914 26.99
    Hattie October 31, 1961 914 26.99
    Camaguey Hurricane of 1932 November 5–8, 1932 915 27.02
    Isabel September 11–14, 2003 915 27.02
    Erin August 16, 2025 915 27.02
    The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 September 13, 1944 918 27.11
    Hugo September 15, 1989 918 27.11
    Esther September 17, 1961 919 27.14
    Michael October 10, 2018 919 27.14
    Abaco Hurricane of 1932 September 5–6, 1932 921 27.20
    Beulah September 20, 1967 921 27.20
    Andrew August 23–24, 1992 922 27.23
    David August 30–31, 1979 924 27.29
    Lorenzo September 29, 2019 925 27.32
    Anita September 2, 1977 926 27.34
    Lee September 8, 2023 926 27.34
    Inez September 28–29, 1966 927 27.37
    Felix September 3–4, 2007 929 27.43
    Lake Okeechobee Hurricane September 13-14, 1928 929 27.43
    Carol September 3, 1953 929 27.43
    Tampico Hurricane of 1943 September 21, 1933 929 27.43
    Emily July 16, 2005 929 27.43
    Cuba-Brownsville Hurricane of 1933 August 30, 1933 930 27.46
    Beryl July 2, 2024 932 27.52
    Matthew October 1, 2016 934 27.58
    Ian September 28, 2022 937 27.67
    Long Island Express of 1938 September 19–20, 1938 940 27.76
    Edith September 9, 1971 943 27.85
    Table 3: Category Five Hurricanes ranked by lowest pressure