Destructive October Hurricanes

 

Hurricane Gonzalo, October 2014 (Source: NOAA)

October is the third most active month of the six-month Atlantic hurricane season behind only August and September.  The frequency and intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes often decreases as we get deeper into October.  That’s not to say there haven’t been intense and high impact October hurricanes in the Atlantic.

Zeta (2020):  Zeta reached peak intensity on October 28 as a major Category 3 hurricane as it made landfall in Louisiana.  Its highest sustained winds were 115 mph with a minimum central air pressure of 970 millibars (mb).  Although Zeta quickly weakened after its landfall, it remains noteworthy for being the latest in the season a major hurricane made landfall in the contiguous United States.  Zeta caused $4.9 billion in U.S. damages, according to NOAA, along with six fatalities. 

Gonzalo (2014):  Gonzalo became a hurricane on October 13 and was a Category 4 hurricane at peak intensity with sustained winds of 145 mph with a minimum air pressure of 940 millibars (mb).  Air pressure is a more accurate measure of the intensity of a hurricane than wind speed.  The lower the air pressure, the stronger the storm is.  Standard sea level pressure is approximately 1013 mb, so 940 mb denotes a strong area of low pressure.  Although Gonzalo weakened to a Category 2 storm before passing over Bermuda, it still caused roughly $400 million in damages (unadjusted for inflation).

Wilma (2005):  Before impacting the United States, Wilma became the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record with a minimum central air pressure of 882 millibars.  Its sustained winds reached 185 mph making it a Category 5 hurricane.  Fortunately, Wilma weakened significantly before it reached southwest Florida where it made landfall on October 24 as a Category 3 storm.  Wilma was also significant for being the last hurricane to make landfall anywhere in Florida until Hermine in 2016.  It caused $27.9 billion in damage (2020 dollars) and five fatalities in Florida.

Lili (2002): Hurricane Lili reached peak intensity on October 2 while over the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 145 mph.  Lili weakened precipitously before its landfall in Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane.  It was the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Floyd in 1999.  According to NOAA, Hurricane Lili caused $1.1 billion in damages (unadjusted for inflation) and 13 fatalities.

Hazel (1954):  Hazel remains the only Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in North Carolina arriving on October 15.  Due to Hazel’s fast rate of speed, it remained a powerful system as it tracked well inland.  It also brought Washington, D.C. its highest wind gust on record of 98 mph.  Although the state of North Carolina feels the impacts of tropical storms and hurricanes fairly often, no major hurricane (Category 3+) has made landfall there since Fran in 1996.  Hurricane Hazel was a deadly storm that claimed 95 lives, according to NOAA, combined with $281 million in damages (unadjusted for inflation).