How does Hurricane Milton compare to the strongest storms ever?

Hurricane Milton has rapidly intensified into one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, joining an elite group of hurricanes that have reached extraordinary levels of strength and intensity.

It is only the second Category 5 hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, following Hurricane Beryl in July. This marks only the sixth year since 1950 with multiple Category 5 hurricanes in a single season.

Record-breaking intensity

Data released by the government put into perspective just how dangerous Milton is.

Hurricane Milton’s maximum sustained winds peaked at 180 mph on Monday, October 7, 2024, making it the sixth strongest hurricane on record in the Atlantic based on wind speed. This puts Milton in the same league as legendary storms like Hurricane Allen (1980), which holds the record at 190 mph, and other notorious hurricanes such as the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, Gilbert (1988), and Wilma (2005).

In the Gulf of Mexico specifically, Milton became the strongest hurricane since Hurricane Rita in 2005 based on wind speed. Its projected impact on Florida is being compared to some of the most destructive storms in the state’s history, with forecasters warning it could be the most powerful hurricane to hit the Tampa Bay area in over a century.

The storm’s rapid intensification was particularly remarkable. Milton underwent explosive strengthening, increasing its wind speed by 95 mph in just 24 hours. This rate of intensification is surpassed only by Hurricanes Wilma (2005) and Felix (2007) in the Atlantic basin records.

Milton’s central pressure bottomed out at 897 millibars, making it the fifth most intense hurricane in the Atlantic basin on record in terms of pressure. Lower pressure generally indicates a stronger hurricane, and Milton’s pressure reading puts it in rarified air among Atlantic storms.