How Does Nestor Compare to Past October Storms ?

"Nestor" developed in the Gulf of Mexico

Tropical Storm Nestor was a short-lived tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico that brought appreciable rainfall and severe weather to the southeastern United States.  Its remnants also brought beneficial rainfall to much of the country that’s experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions.  However, Nestor doesn’t compare to some of the past October storms to impact the United States.

Michael (2018): Last year Hurricane Michael became only the fourth Category 5 hurricane on record to make landfall in the United States.  It came ashore in the Florida panhandle with sustained winds of 160 mph and a minimum central air pressure of 919 millibars (mb).  By comparison, standard sea level air pressure is approximately 1013 mb.  Scientists consider air pressure to be a more accurate measure of intensity than wind speed in a tropical storm or hurricane.  The lower the air pressure, the more intense a storm is.

Michael was the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in the Florida panhandle and joined the likes of Andrew (1992), Camille (1969) and the 1935 Florida Keys/Labor Day storm (before hurricanes were named) as the only four Category 5’s to make landfall in the United States.

Matthew (2016): This was the first Category 5 hurricane to develop in the Atlantic Ocean since 2007.  That’s the second longest streak between Category 5 hurricanes on record in the Atlantic, behind the 15 years between the 1938 “New England” hurricane and Hurricane Carol in 1953.  At peak intensity with 165 mph sustained winds on October 1, Michael weakened before it impacted Florida and the southeast coast of the United States.  The Carolinas saw record flooding that was eclipsed by Hurricane Florence in September 2018.  

Wilma (2005): Wilma was named a tropical storm on October 17, 2005, and quickly became a hurricane in the southwestern Caribbean Sea.  Due to ideal atmospheric conditions, Wilma quickly intensified into the most powerful hurricane on record in the Atlantic Ocean with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and a minimum air pressure of 882 mb.  Wilma ultimately made landfall in southwestern Florida as a major Category 3 hurricane on October 24.

Opal (1995):  Opal was one of five major hurricanes to form during the very active 1995 season.  It was also the strongest hurricane of the season as a Category 4 with peak winds of 150 mph and a minimum central air pressure of 916 millibars.  Fortunately, it weakened to Category 3 intensity before making landfall near Pensacola, Florida on October 4.  The DC Metro Area saw severe weather from the remnants of Opal on October 5.  Hurricane Opal also supplanted 1985’s Hurricane Gloria (919 mb) to have the lowest pressure of any Atlantic hurricane that didn’t achieve Category 5 status.