Remembering Wilma and other Fierce Hurricanes

Hurricane Dean in August 2007

Today marks the 9^thanniversary of when Hurricane Wilma made landfall on the West coast of Florida. Although at one point, Wilma was the strongest hurricane on record in the Atlantic, it weakened to a Category 3 before making landfall in Florida. Wilma is also significant for being the last major hurricane (Category 3, 4 or 5) to make landfall in the United States.

That’s not to say there haven’t been major hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean since then or storms that have caused widespread damage in the United States. There were two Category 5 hurricanes in 2007 (Dean and Felix), but neither one had a direct impact.  In 2008, Hurricane Ike was a Category 2 hurricane that caused widespread damage in Texas.  Being a large hurricane, Ike also caused a large storm surge – in excess of 15 feet in places – when it made landfall.

The geographic size of a hurricane doesn’t always equate to intensity. Hurricane Andrew had a relatively small diameter in 1992 but will forever be remembered as only the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States. Ike and Andrew are both among the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.

Hurricane Irene came ashore in late August 2011 and caused extensive damage and flooding in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S.  Irene was a major Category 3 hurricane while over the ocean, but weakened to a Category 1 before making landfall.  Sandy affected many of the same areas in late October 2012 and was second only to Hurricane Katrina in the amount of damage it caused.  Sandy set several rainfall records in the Mid-Atlantic Region. 

Hurricane Arthur came ashore in the Outer Banks of North Carolina earlier this year as a Category 2.  However, it has been nine years now since a major hurricane has made landfall anywhere in the United States and since Wilma caused extensive damage in Florida.