List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes facts for kids

Hurricane Lee as a Category 5 hurricane on the early morning of September 8, 2023.

A Category 5 Atlantic hurricane is the strongest type of storm that forms in the Atlantic Ocean. These powerful storms have winds blowing at least 252 kilometers per hour (157 miles per hour). They are measured using the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale.

Experts believe 11 Category 5 hurricanes happened between 1851 and 1959. However, it was harder to track storms back then because we didn't have satellites. Since 1960, 29 Atlantic hurricanes have reached Category 5 strength.

What is a Category 5 Hurricane?

Tracks of all known Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes between 1851 and 2019.

In the Atlantic Ocean, hurricanes are watched by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in the United States. Other weather groups, like Météo-France and the Met Office, also keep an eye on these storms.

A Category 5 hurricane is a tropical cyclone with very strong winds. These winds blow at 252 kilometers per hour (157 miles per hour) or faster. This speed is measured 10 meters (33 feet) above the ground.

So far, 40 tropical cyclones have been strong enough to be called Category 5 hurricanes. The first one officially recorded was in 1924. Before 1924, it was hard to measure the strongest winds. This is because tools like anemometers (which measure wind speed) were often broken during big storms. For example, during the Great Beaufort Hurricane of 1879, the wind measuring device was blown away.

Scientists are still looking at old weather data. They might change the strength of some past hurricanes. For instance, the 1825 Santa Ana hurricane might have been a Category 5 storm. Researchers also study old sediments (like dirt and sand) to find signs of powerful hurricanes from long ago. They found proof of a "giant hurricane" in Belize that was much stronger than Hurricane Hattie (a Category 5 storm) and hit before the year 1500.

Hurricane Records and Facts

An October Category 5 that hit Cuba, Florida, and The Bahamas in 1924. It was the first hurricane to be officially recognized as a Category 5 on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

The years 2000 to 2009 had the most Category 5 hurricanes, with eight of them. Before that, the 1930s and 1960s each had six. The year 2005 had the most Category 5 hurricanes in a single season, with four. Also, from 2016 to 2019, there was at least one Category 5 hurricane every year for four years in a row.

A collage of all Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes since 1980

Some hurricanes have reached Category 5 strength more than once. This means they got very strong, then weakened, and then became a Category 5 again. Hurricanes like Camille, Andrew, Dean, Felix, Irma, and Maria each reached Category 5 twice. Allen, Isabel, and Ivan became Category 5 storms three times.

The 1932 Cuba hurricane spent the longest time as a Category 5 hurricane. However, this was before satellites, so it's harder to be sure. Irma holds the record for staying a Category 5 for the longest time in the satellite era.

Most Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes happen in September. This is when the Atlantic hurricane season is usually at its busiest. These September storms often get strong in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, or the open Atlantic. Many of them are Cape Verde hurricanes, which grow powerful as they travel over warm ocean waters.

Hurricanes that reach Category 5 in October and November usually get their strength in the western Caribbean. This area has warm waters and weather patterns that help storms grow strong late in the season.

List of Category 5 Atlantic Hurricanes