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 NameDate(s) of Category 5 intensityDuration at Category 5 (hours)
    Camaguey Hurricane of 1932November 5–8, 193278.00
    IrmaSeptember 5–9, 201772.00
    AllenAugust 5–9, 198072.00
    IvanSeptember 9–14, 200460.00
    IsabelSeptember 11–14, 200342.00
    MitchOctober 26–28, 199842.00
    DavidAugust 30–31, 197942.00
    DorianSeptember 1–2, 201930.00
    CamilleAugust 16–18, 196930.00
    MariaSeptember 18–20, 201728.25
    MiltonOctober 7–9, 202426.08
    Abaco Hurricane of 1932September 5–6, 193224.00
    FelixSeptember 3–4, 200724.00
    InezSeptember 28–29, 196624.00
    RitaSeptember 21–22, 200524.00
    GilbertSeptember 13–14, 198824.00
    DeanAugust 18–21, 200724.00
    JanetSeptember 27–28, 195518.00
    Long Island Express of 1938September 19–20, 193818.00
    KatrinaAugust 28–29, 200518.00
    WilmaOctober 19, 200518.00
    EstherSeptember 17, 196118.00
    The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944September 13, 194418.00
    Labor Day Hurricane of 1935September 3, 193518.00
    AndrewAugust 23–24, 199216.00
    BerylJuly 2, 202415.00
    Lake Okeechobee HurricaneSeptember 13-14, 192812.00
    MatthewOctober 1, 201612.00
    AnitaSeptember 2, 197712.00
    CarolSeptember 3, 195312.00
    Tampico Hurricane of 1943September 21, 193312.00
    Cuba-Brownsville Hurricane of 1933August 30, 193312.00
    The Cuba Hurricane of 1924October 19, 192412.00
    LeeSeptember 8, 20236.00
    IanSeptember 28, 20226.00
    EmilyJuly 16, 20056.00
    HugoSeptember 15, 19896.00
    EdithSeptember 9, 19716.00
    BeulahSeptember 20, 19676.00
    HattieOctober 31, 19616.00
    LorenzoSeptember 29, 20193.00
    MichaelOctober 10, 20180.50
    Table 1: Longest Lasting Category Five Hurricanes

    Category Five Hurricanes – Peak Winds

    Storm NameDate(s) of Category 5 intensityPeak Wind Speed (mph)
    AllenAugust 5–9, 1980190
    DorianSeptember 1–2, 2019185
    GilbertSeptember 13–14, 1988185
    WilmaOctober 19, 2005185
    Labor Day Hurricane of 1935September 3, 1935185
    IrmaSeptember 5–9, 2017180
    MitchOctober 26–28, 1998180
    MiltonOctober 7–9, 2024180
    RitaSeptember 21–22, 2005180
    Camaguey Hurricane of 1932November 5–8, 1932175
    DavidAugust 30–31, 1979175
    CamilleAugust 16–18, 1969175
    MariaSeptember 18–20, 2017175
    FelixSeptember 3–4, 2007175
    DeanAugust 18–21, 2007175
    JanetSeptember 27–28, 1955175
    KatrinaAugust 28–29, 2005175
    AndrewAugust 23–24, 1992175
    AnitaSeptember 2, 1977175
    IvanSeptember 9–14, 2004165
    IsabelSeptember 11–14, 2003165
    BerylJuly 2, 2024165
    MatthewOctober 1, 2016165
    The Cuba Hurricane of 1924October 19, 1924165
    LeeSeptember 8, 2023165
    HattieOctober 31, 1961165
    Abaco Hurricane of 1932September 5–6, 1932160
    InezSeptember 28–29, 1966160
    Long Island Express of 1938September 19–20, 1938160
    EstherSeptember 17, 1961160
    The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944September 13, 1944160
    Lake Okeechobee HurricaneSeptember 13-14, 1928160
    CarolSeptember 3, 1953160
    Tampico Hurricane of 1943September 21, 1933160
    Cuba-Brownsville Hurricane of 1933August 30, 1933160
    IanSeptember 28, 2022160
    EmilyJuly 16, 2005160
    HugoSeptember 15, 1989160
    EdithSeptember 9, 1971160
    BeulahSeptember 20, 1967160
    LorenzoSeptember 29, 2019160
    MichaelOctober 10, 2018160
    Table 2: Category Five Hurricanes ranked by peak winds.

    Category Five Hurricanes – Lowest Pressure

    Storm NameDate(s) of Category 5 intensityMinimum Pressure (mb)Minimum Pressure (in Hg)
    WilmaOctober 19, 200588226.05
    GilbertSeptember 13–14, 198888826.22
    Labor Day Hurricane of 1935September 3, 193589226.34
    MiltonOctober 7–9, 202489526.43
    RitaSeptember 21–22, 200589526.43
    AllenAugust 5–9, 198089926.55
    CamilleAugust 16–18, 196990026.58
    KatrinaAugust 28–29, 200590226.64
    MitchOctober 26–28, 199890526.72
    DeanAugust 18–21, 200790526.72
    MariaSeptember 18–20, 201790826.81
    DorianSeptember 1–2, 201991026.87
    IvanSeptember 9–14, 200491026.87
    The Cuba Hurricane of 1924October 19, 192491026.87
    IrmaSeptember 5–9, 201791426.99
    JanetSeptember 27–28, 195591426.99
    HattieOctober 31, 196191426.99
    Camaguey Hurricane of 1932November 5–8, 193291527.02
    IsabelSeptember 11–14, 200391527.02
    The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944September 13, 194491827.11
    HugoSeptember 15, 198991827.11
    EstherSeptember 17, 196191927.14
    MichaelOctober 10, 201891927.14
    Abaco Hurricane of 1932September 5–6, 193292127.20
    BeulahSeptember 20, 196792127.20
    AndrewAugust 23–24, 199292227.23
    DavidAugust 30–31, 197992427.29
    LorenzoSeptember 29, 201992527.32
    AnitaSeptember 2, 197792627.34
    LeeSeptember 8, 202392627.34
    InezSeptember 28–29, 196692727.37
    FelixSeptember 3–4, 200792927.43
    Lake Okeechobee HurricaneSeptember 13-14, 192892927.43
    CarolSeptember 3, 195392927.43
    Tampico Hurricane of 1943September 21, 193392927.43
    EmilyJuly 16, 200592927.43
    Cuba-Brownsville Hurricane of 1933August 30, 193393027.46
    BerylJuly 2, 202493227.52
    MatthewOctober 1, 201693427.58
    IanSeptember 28, 202293727.67
    Long Island Express of 1938September 19–20, 193894027.76
    EdithSeptember 9, 197194327.85
    Table 3: Category Five Hurricanes ranked by lowest pressure