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| Minimal Tropical Storm Chantal lurks in the north Atlantic (Source: NOAA) |
Charley (2004):
A relatively compact hurricane, Charley was the second major hurricane
of the 2004 season. It made landfall
south of Tampa, near Punta Gorda, on August 13.
Charley went through a quick intensification phase from Category 2
intensity to a Category 4 storm prior to landfall. It made landfall with sustained winds of 150
mph and was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States since
Andrew in 1992. Hurricane Charley did
$16 billion in damage (unadjusted for inflation), according to NOAA.
Andrew (1992): The first named storm of a below average hurricane season was the only major Atlantic hurricane of 1992. Andrew caused catastrophic damage in southern Florida south of Miami. Originally ranked as a Category 4 hurricane, scientists later determined it was a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 165 mph at landfall on August 24. Andrew was the costliest natural disaster in US history having caused $27 billion in damage (in 1992 dollars). That’s a distinction Andrew would hold until Katrina in 2005.
Allen (1980): Not only did Allen reach Category 5 intensity, it still holds the record for highest sustained winds of any Atlantic hurricane at 190 mph. That’s in conjunction with a minimal central air pressure of 899 millibars (mb). At the time, that made Allen the Atlantic’s second strongest hurricane on account of air pressure behind only the 1935 Florida Keys Labor Day hurricane (892 mb). Allen currently ranks as the fifth strongest hurricane based on air pressure. Typically, the lower the air pressure the stronger the hurricane is with higher sustained winds. By comparison, standard sea level air pressure is approximately 1013 millibars. Fortunately, it weakened to Category 3 status before its south Texas landfall on August 10.
Camille (1969): Like Andrew in 1992 and Allen in 1980, Camille was the first major hurricane of the season. A “major” hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a Category 3 hurricane or greater with sustained winds of at least 111 mph. Camille became a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico with sustained winds of 175 mph and a minimum central air pressure of 900 mb. It made landfall in Mississippi early on August 18 and caused widespread damage. Camille remains one of only four Category 5 hurricanes on record to make landfall in the United States along with the unnamed Florida Keys hurricane of 1935, Andrew in 1992 and Michael just last October.
Andrew (1992): The first named storm of a below average hurricane season was the only major Atlantic hurricane of 1992. Andrew caused catastrophic damage in southern Florida south of Miami. Originally ranked as a Category 4 hurricane, scientists later determined it was a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 165 mph at landfall on August 24. Andrew was the costliest natural disaster in US history having caused $27 billion in damage (in 1992 dollars). That’s a distinction Andrew would hold until Katrina in 2005.
Allen (1980): Not only did Allen reach Category 5 intensity, it still holds the record for highest sustained winds of any Atlantic hurricane at 190 mph. That’s in conjunction with a minimal central air pressure of 899 millibars (mb). At the time, that made Allen the Atlantic’s second strongest hurricane on account of air pressure behind only the 1935 Florida Keys Labor Day hurricane (892 mb). Allen currently ranks as the fifth strongest hurricane based on air pressure. Typically, the lower the air pressure the stronger the hurricane is with higher sustained winds. By comparison, standard sea level air pressure is approximately 1013 millibars. Fortunately, it weakened to Category 3 status before its south Texas landfall on August 10.
Camille (1969): Like Andrew in 1992 and Allen in 1980, Camille was the first major hurricane of the season. A “major” hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a Category 3 hurricane or greater with sustained winds of at least 111 mph. Camille became a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico with sustained winds of 175 mph and a minimum central air pressure of 900 mb. It made landfall in Mississippi early on August 18 and caused widespread damage. Camille remains one of only four Category 5 hurricanes on record to make landfall in the United States along with the unnamed Florida Keys hurricane of 1935, Andrew in 1992 and Michael just last October.
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