On Monday, Hurricane Milton escalated to a formidable Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, reaching sustained winds of 175 mph as it approaches Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. This comes just weeks after Hurricane Helene transformed into an incredibly intense storm.

Milton swiftly upgraded from a Category 2 to Category 5 within a few hours on Monday. Although it is anticipated that Milton will weaken before making landfall later this week, it still poses a significant threat to Florida’s coast as a major and potentially deadly hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Helene, which has been connected to over 200 fatalities in the southeastern U.S., came ashore in Florida’s Big Bend region on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane, packing winds of 140 mph.

With sustained winds of 175 mph, Milton is tied with notorious hurricanes like Andrew and Katrina, marking it as one of the strongest hurricanes in the Atlantic’s history. Here we examine other notable storms.

Hurricane Allen

• Year: 1980
• Location: Impacted South Padre Island, Texas
• Peak Wind Speed: 190 mph
• Deaths: 269
• Overview: Allen is recognized as the only hurricane in the Atlantic’s history to sustain winds of 190 mph. This record remained unbroken until Hurricane Patricia in 2015.

Hurricane Wilma

• Year: 2005
• Location: Made landfall in Cape Romano, Florida
• Peak Wind Speed: 185 mph
• Deaths: 52
• Overview: Known as the most potent cyclone in the Atlantic’s history, Wilma is second only to Hurricane Allen regarding barometric pressure. It coincided with Hurricane Katrina, marking the severe 2005 hurricane season.

Hurricane Andrew

• Year: 1992
• Location: Elliot Key, Florida, located about nine miles east of Homestead
• Peak Wind Speed: 175 mph
• Deaths: 65
• Overview: This Category 5 hurricane is recognized as one of the most catastrophic to hit Florida, previously holding the record for the costliest hurricane in the state until it was surpassed by Hurricane Irma 25 years later, which caused approximately $77 billion in damages.

Hurricane Katrina

• Year: 2005
• Location: Made landfall in Keating Beach, Florida, with two other touchdowns in Louisiana
• Peak Wind Speed: 175 mph
• Deaths: 1,392
• Overview: Recognized as the deadliest storm since 1950, Katrina also stands out as one of the costliest hurricanes in Atlantic history, sharing this distinction with Hurricane Harvey according to the National Hurricane Center.
• The primary cause of fatalities linked to Hurricane Katrina was the breach of levees surrounding New Orleans, which resulted in devastating flooding throughout the region.