This is a list of Atlantic hurricane records, according to the SDTWFC What Might Have Been Series.
Earliest formation records by storm number[]
Earliest formation of North Atlantic tropical cyclones by storm number | |||
---|---|---|---|
Number | Date of formation | Name | |
1 | January 18, 1978 | Anya | |
2 | April 24, 1973 | Bethany | |
3 | May 2, 1973 | Coryn | |
4 | May 11, 1973 | Diane | |
5 | June 7, 1973 | Ernie | |
6 | June 23, 1973 | Flora | |
7 | July 1, 1973 | Garry | |
8 | July 9, 1973 | Hannah | |
9 | July 19, 1973 | Igor | |
10 | July 22, 1973 | Tropical Depression 10 | |
11 | July 30, 1973 | Jasmine | |
12 | August 9, 1973 | Kyle | |
13 | August 18, 1973 | Linda | |
14 | August 25, 1973 | McKenna | |
15 | August 30, 1979 | Orion | |
16 | September 1, 1979 | Peggy | |
17 | September 4, 1979 | Rosa | |
18 | September 11, 1971 | Philippe | |
19 | September 16, 1979 | Serena | |
20 | September 19, 1979 | Trudy | |
21 | September 21, 1979 | Vina | |
22 | October 4, 1967 | Tropical Depression 22 | |
23 | October 5, 1967 | Tropical Depression 23 | |
24 | October 8, 1967 | Tropical Depression 24 | |
25 | October 12, 1967 | Wilma | |
26 | October 15, 1967 | Alpha | |
27 | October 16, 1967 | Beta | |
28 | October 19, 1967 | Gamma | |
29 | October 25, 1967 | Delta |
Earliest and latest formations for each category[]
Earliest and latest forming Atlantic tropical cyclones by Saffir–Simpson classification | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Earliest Formation | Latest Formation | |||||
Category | Year | Storm | Date Reached | Year | Storm | Date Reached |
Tropical Storm | 1978 | Anya | January 19 | 1954 | Patsy | December 27 |
Category 1 | 1970 | Alex | May 18 | 1954 | Patsy | December 29 |
Category 2 | 1969 | Douglas | June 14 | 1954 | Patsy | December 31 |
Category 3 | 1969 | Douglas | June 15 | 1964 | Michael | November 7 |
Category 4 | 1967 | Edith | July 12 | 1981 | Robert | November 5 |
Category 5 | 1979 | Hannah | July 24 | 1961 | Ilima | November 2 |
Category 6 | 1967 | Martha | September 10 | 1978 | Orpha | September 21 |
Seasonal activity[]
Generally, seasons are ranked in activity by the number of named storms that form within in the season. However, the SDTWFC uses the number of depressions that form in a season to rank seasons by activity.
Seasons ranked in order of activity[]
North Atlantic hurricane seasons ranked by activity | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Year | Tropical depressions |
Tropical storms |
Hurricanes | |
Hurricanes | Major | ||||
1 | 1967 | 29 | 25 | 13 | 6 |
2 | 1979 | 27 | 26 | 13 | 4 |
3 | 1969 | 24 | 23 | 11 | 7 |
1978 | 24 | 23 | 10 | 4 | |
4 | 1973 | 23 | 21 | 9 | 4 |
5 | 1971 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 5 |
1975 | 22 | 21 | 8 | 5 | |
6 | 1970 | 19 | 18 | 8 | 4 |
1972 | 19 | 18 | 8 | 3 | |
1974 | 19 | 19 | 9 | 5 | |
1984 | 19 | 18 | 8 | 2 | |
7 | 1981 | 18 | 18 | 9 | 5 |
8 | 1954 | 17 | 18 | 8 | 3 |
9 | 1968 | 16 | 15 | 8 | 2 |
1977 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 4 | |
1988 | 16 | 14 | 7 | 3 | |
10 | 1980 | 15 | 14 | 6 | 3 |
1989 | 15 | 14 | 6 | 2 | |
11 | 1959 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 2 |
1966 | 14 | 13 | 6 | 3 | |
1987 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 3 | |
12 | 1955 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 6 |
1956 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 2 | |
1964 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 6 | |
1985 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 1 | |
13 | 1958 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
14 | 1961 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 6 |
1976 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 3 | |
15 | 1963 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 5 |
1982 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 1 | |
1986 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 1 | |
16 | 1957 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
1960 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 3 | |
1962 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | |
17 | 1983 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
18 | 1965 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
Intensity and strength records[]
Most intense by pressure[]
Rank | Storm | Season | Peak classification | Pressure |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Orpha | 1978 | Category 6 | 877 mBar |
2 | Joseph | 1989 | Category 6 | 883 mBar |
3 | Martha | 1967 | Category 6 | 888 mBar |
4 | George | 1964 | Category 5 | 893 mBar |
5 | Philippe | 1971 | Category 5 | 898 mBar |
6 | Edna | 1960 | Category 5 | 899 mBar |
7 | McKenna | 1973 | Category 5 | 903 mBar |
8 | Janet | 1955 | Category 5 | 905 mBar |
9 | Grayson | 1963 | Category 5 | 906 mBar |
10 | Henry | 1977 | Category 5 | 907 mBar |
Most intense landfalling hurricanes by pressure[]
Bold italics indicates the hurricane made landfall at peak intensity
Rank | Storm | Season | Landfall location | Classification at landfall | Landfall pressure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Joseph | 1989 | Brunswick, Georgia | Category 6 | 889 mBar |
2 | Philippe | 1971 | Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic | Category 5 | 898 mBar |
3 | McKenna | 1973 | Ragged Island, Bahamas | Category 5 | 903 mBar |
4 | Edna | 1960 | Morehead City, North Carolina | Category 5 | 904 mBar |
5 | Hank | 1969 | Venice, Florida | Category 5 | 909 mBar |
6 | Janet | 1955 | Mahahaul, Quintana Roo | Category 5 | 910 mBar |
7 | Michelle | 1974 | Chauvin, Louisiana | Category 5 | 911 mBar |
8 | Linda | 1973 | Port Aransas, Texas | Category 5 | 912 mBar |
Orpha | 1978 | Clearwater, Florida | Category 5 | 912 mBar | |
9 | Henry | 1977 | San Antonio Del Sur, Cuba | Category 5 | 914 mBar |
Betsy | 1980 | Felipe Carillo Puerto, Quintana Roo | Category 5 | 914 mBar | |
10 | Cynthia | 1961 | Zamach, Quintana Roo | Category 5 | 915 mBar |
Grayson | 1963 | Near Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Category 5 | 915 mBar |
Strongest by wind speed[]
Only the top 5 storms are shown here
Rank | Storm | Season | Peak classification | Wind speed |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Orpha | 1978 | Category 6 | 195 mph |
Joseph | 1989 | Category 6 | 195 mph | |
2 | Martha | 1967 | Category 6 | 190 mph |
3 | Janet | 1955 | Category 5 | 185 mph |
Edna | 1960 | Category 5 | 185 mph | |
George | 1964 | Category 5 | 185 mph | |
McKenna | 1973 | Category 5 | 185 mph | |
4 | Grayson | 1963 | Category 5 | 180 mph |
Philippe | 1971 | Category 5 | 180 mph | |
Betsy | 1980 | Category 5 | 180 mph | |
5 | Nathan | 1970 | Category 5 | 175 mph |
Michelle | 1974 | Category 5 | 175 mph | |
Paula | 1974 | Category 5 | 175 mph | |
Miranda | 1988 | Category 5 | 175 mph |
Strongest landfalling hurricanes by wind speed[]
Only the top 5 storms are shown here
Rank | Storm | Season | Landfall location | Classification at landfall | Landfall wind speed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Joseph | 1989 | Brunswick, Georgia | Category 6 | 190 mph |
2 | McKenna | 1973 | Ragged Island, Bahamas | Category 5 | 185 mph |
3 | Edna | 1960 | Morehead City, North Carolina | Category 5 | 180 mph |
Philippe | 1971 | Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic | Category 5 | 180 mph | |
4 | Janet | 1955 | Mahahaul, Quintana Roo | Category 5 | 175 mph |
Michelle | 1974 | Chauvin, Louisiana | Category 5 | 175 mph | |
Betsy | 1980 | Felipe Carillo Puerto, Quintana Roo | Category 5 | 175 mph | |
Miranda | 1988 | Near Bluefields, Nicaragua | Category 5 | 175 mph | |
5 | Cynthia | 1961 | Zamach, Quintana Roo | Category 5 | 170 mph |
Grayson | 1963 | Near Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Category 5 | 170 mph | |
Martha | 1967 | Xcalak, Quintana Roo | Category 5 | 170 mph | |
Nathan | 1970 | Pascagoula, Mississippi | Category 5 | 170 mph | |
Orpha | 1978 | Clearwater, Florida | Category 5 | 170 mph |