Emerging from a typically unremarkable group of thunderstorms in the western Gulf of Mexico late last week, Hurricane Milton quickly intensified and approached Florida, making landfall late on Wednesday.

This storm, still active over the sea by late Thursday, is particularly notable for its rapid strengthening, temporary Category 5 status, the threat it posed to the Tampa Bay area, and a significant tornado outbreak that occurred before it even hit Florida.

Additionally, Milton unleashed severe winds, rainfall, and storm surge throughout the state, prompting the evacuation of nearly 2 million residents.

From Slow Start to Quick Acceleration

Meteorologists initially tracked the formation of Hurricane Milton as early as September 26. However, it wasn’t until Saturday, October 5, that conditions aligned to create a named tropical storm.

By Sunday, forecasters were already raising alarms about what would become Hurricane Milton. “This forecast track is highly unusual and alarming for a hurricane moving towards the Tampa Bay area,” stated Jon Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather.

The storm’s west-to-east trajectory across the Gulf was particularly atypical, as most hurricanes threatening Florida typically originate from the Caribbean Sea.

A Record of Rapid Intensification

On Monday, Milton experienced an explosive intensification, described by meteorologists as “rapid intensification,” characterized by a significant increase in wind speeds and a steep drop in pressure over a short period. This phenomenon has been increasingly observed in Gulf hurricanes in recent years, usually defined as a storm intensifying by at least 35 mph within 24 hours.

Milton exemplified this, surging from a 60 mph tropical storm Sunday morning to a formidable 155 mph Category 4 hurricane—an incredible increase of 95 mph in just over 24 hours, marking one of the fastest intensification rates ever recorded in the Atlantic.

The Rare Category 5 Status

Milton continued to strengthen, attaining Category 5 classification on Monday, making it the second Category 5 storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, following Beryl. Category 5 represents the highest classification for hurricanes, as defined by the National Hurricane Center, requiring maximum sustained winds to exceed 156 mph.

At its peak, Milton’s wind speeds reached 180 mph, making it the fifth-strongest hurricane ever documented in the Atlantic and the most potent tropical cyclone worldwide in 2024.

Such powerful hurricanes are extremely rare: According to Weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman, only 40 Category 5 hurricanes have been documented in the Atlantic Basin since 1924, according to NOAA records. Only four hurricanes have made landfall in the U.S. at Category 5 strength, the latest being Hurricane Michael in 2018.

A Tornado Outbreak of Fatal Consequence

The most lethal aspect of Milton was the violent tornado outbreak that occurred on the day before and the day of its landfall. More than 100 tornado warnings were issued, with numerous tornadoes confirmed, leading to fatalities in Florida, many of which resulted from these tornadoes.

Additionally, most of the significant damage reported throughout the state stemmed from these tornadoes, as noted by Deanne Criswell, head of FEMA.

While tornadoes during hurricanes are not uncommon—these storms can spawn tornadoes for up to three days following landfall—NOAA statistics indicate that the majority occur on the day of landfall or the following day.

The most notable tornado outbreak related to a hurricane occurred during Hurricane Ivan in 2004, resulting in 127 tornadoes over several days. The deadliest hurricane-related tornado happened in October 1964, when a twister from Hurricane Hilda caused 22 fatalities in Larose, Louisiana.