This Hurricane Recorded Winds Equivalent to an F4 Tornado

Fastest Hurricane Wind Speeds Ever Recorded

People don't typically think of Vermont when they consider hurricanes. Yet Hurricane Beryl triggered a tornado watch and left many towns in Vermont in shambles. By the time Beryl hit us, she wasn't even a hurricane. It does make me wonder just what the fastest hurricane wind speeds are.

For a hurricane to develop, water temperatures need to be over 80 degrees, which leads to more evaporation and humidity. That's added to the fact that the earth continually rotates, which impacts atmospheric pressure. Additionally, winds in the upper atmospheric levels and formations of thunderstorms that trigger tropical waves also help hurricanes develop.

Wind speeds play a key role in determining if a system is a tropical depression (38 mph or less), tropical storm (39 to 73 mph), hurricane (74 mph or higher), or major hurricane (111 mph or higher). In 2005 and 2020, seven major hurricanes started in the Atlantic. In the Pacific, 2015 had the most major hurricanes at 11, and 1992 and 2018 came in second with 10 each.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November and has an average of:

14 named storms
7 hurricanes
3 major hurricanes

Compare that to the Pacific hurricane season, which runs from May through November. It has an average of:

15 named storms
8 hurricanes
4 major hurricanes

I find it surprising how many of the fastest hurricane wind speeds are attributed to storms before or just after I was born. While many of today's hurricanes have been deadly, the wind speeds of major hurricanes have been alarmingly high throughout recorded history. (Also, find out how far inland past hurricanes made it by reading The Hurricane That Made It Farthest Inland.)

To determine the fastest hurricane wind speeds ever recorded in the United States, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on historical hurricane tracks from 1842 to 2022 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Storm track segments were ranked based on maximum sustained wind speed recorded. Only storm track segments that intersect with the contiguous United States were considered.

50. Hurricane Frederic (1979)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 120.8 mph
Site of record: George County, MS
Date of record: September 13, 1979

49. Hurricane Carmen (1974)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 120.8 mph
Site of record: St. Mary Parish, LA
Date of record: September 8, 1974

48. Hurricane Easy (1950)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 120.8 mph
Site of record: Levy County, FL
Date of record: September 5, 1950

47. Unnamed hurricane of 1938

Maximum sustained wind speed: 120.8 mph
Site of record: New Haven County, CT
Date of record: September 21, 1938

46. Unnamed hurricane of 1918

Maximum sustained wind speed: 120.8 mph
Site of record: Cameron Parish, LA
Date of record: August 6, 1918

45. Unnamed hurricane of 1916

Maximum sustained wind speed: 120.8 mph
Site of record: George County, MS
Date of record: July 5, 1916

44. Unnamed hurricane of 1906

Maximum sustained wind speed: 120.8 mph
Site of record: Monroe County, FL
Date of record: October 18, 1906

43. Unnamed hurricane of 1894

Maximum sustained wind speed: 120.8 mph
Site of record: Bay County, FL
Date of record: October 9, 1894

42. Unnamed hurricane of 1886

Maximum sustained wind speed: 120.8 mph
Site of record: Cameron Parish, LA
Date of record: October 12, 1886

41. Hurricane Katrina (2005)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: St. Tammany Parish, LA
Date of record: August 29, 2005

40. Hurricane Dennis (2005)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: Escambia County, FL
Date of record: July 10, 2005

39. Hurricane Bret (1999)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: Kenedy County, TX
Date of record: August 22, 1999

38. Hurricane Eloise (1975)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: Coffee County, AL
Date of record: September 23, 1975

37. Hurricane Beulah (1967)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: Cameron County, TX
Date of record: September 20, 1967

36. Hurricane Audrey (1957)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: Cameron Parish, LA
Date of record: June 27, 1957

35. Unnamed hurricane of 1933

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: Martin County, FL
Date of record: September 4, 1933

34. Unnamed hurricane of 1933

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: Cameron County, TX
Date of record: September 5, 1933

33. Unnamed hurricane of 1915

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: Lafourche Parish, LA
Date of record: September 29, 1915

32. Unnamed hurricane of 1896

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: Gilchrist County, FL
Date of record: September 29, 1896

31. Unnamed hurricane of 1888

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: Broward County, FL
Date of record: August 16, 1888

30. Unnamed hurricane of 1882

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: Okaloosa County, FL
Date of record: September 10, 1882

29. Unnamed hurricane of 1879

Maximum sustained wind speed: 126.6 mph
Site of record: St. Mary Parish, LA
Date of record: September 1, 1879

28. Unnamed hurricane of 1900

Maximum sustained wind speed: 128.9 mph
Site of record: Fort Bend County, TX
Date of record: September 9, 1900

27. Hurricane Irma (2017)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 132.3 mph
Site of record: Monroe County, FL
Date of record: September 10, 2017

26. Hurricane Harvey (2017)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 132.3 mph
Site of record: Aransas County, TX
Date of record: August 26, 2017

25. Hurricane Betsy (1965)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 132.3 mph
Site of record: Jefferson Parish, LA
Date of record: September 10, 1965

24. Hurricane Gracie (1959)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 132.3 mph
Site of record: Colleton County, SC
Date of record: September 29, 1959

23. Hurricane Hazel (1954)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 132.3 mph
Site of record: Horry County, SC
Date of record: October 15, 1954

22. Hurricane King (1950)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 132.3 mph
Site of record: Miami-Dade County, FL
Date of record: October 18, 1950

21. Unnamed hurricane of 1948

Maximum sustained wind speed: 132.3 mph
Site of record: Monroe County, FL
Date of record: September 22, 1948

20. Unnamed hurricane of 1947

Maximum sustained wind speed: 132.3 mph
Site of record: Broward County, FL
Date of record: September 17, 1947

19. Unnamed hurricane of 1945

Maximum sustained wind speed: 132.3 mph
Site of record: Monroe County, FL
Date of record: September 15, 1945

18. Unnamed hurricane of 1916

Maximum sustained wind speed: 132.3 mph
Site of record: Kenedy County, TX
Date of record: August 18, 1916

17. Unnamed hurricane of 1898

Maximum sustained wind speed: 132.3 mph
Site of record: Camden County, GA
Date of record: October 2, 1898

16. Hurricane Hugo (1989)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 138.1 mph
Site of record: Berkeley County, SC
Date of record: September 22, 1989

15. Hurricane Celia (1970)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 138.1 mph
Site of record: Nueces County, TX
Date of record: August 3, 1970

14. Unnamed hurricane of 1856

Maximum sustained wind speed: 138.1 mph
Site of record: St. Mary Parish, LA
Date of record: August 10, 1856

13. Hurricane Ian (2022)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 139.2 mph
Site of record: DeSoto County, FL
Date of record: September 28, 2022

12. Hurricane Charley (2004)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 139.2 mph
Site of record: DeSoto County, FL
Date of record: August 13, 2004

11. Unnamed hurricane of 1880

Maximum sustained wind speed: 139.2 mph
Site of record: Cameron County, TX
Date of record: August 13, 1880

10. Hurricane Carla (1961)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 143.8 mph
Site of record: Calhoun County, TX
Date of record: September 11, 1961

9. Hurricane Donna (1960)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 143.8 mph
Site of record: Monroe County, FL
Date of record: September 10, 1960

8. Unnammed hurricane of 1926

Maximum sustained wind speed: 143.8 mph
Site of record: Miami-Dade County, FL
Date of record: September 18, 1926

7. Hurricane Ida (2021)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 149.6 mph
Site of record: Lafourche Parish, LA
Date of record: August 29, 2021

6. Hurricane Laura (2020)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 149.6 mph
Site of record: Cameron Parish, LA
Date of record: August 27, 2020

5. Unnamed hurricane of 1886

Maximum sustained wind speed: 149.6 mph
Site of record: Aransas County, TX
Date of record: August 20, 1886

4. Hurricane Michael (2018)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 161.1 mph
Site of record: Bay County, FL
Date of record: October 10, 2018

3. Hurricane Andrew (1992)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 166.9 mph
Site of record: Miami-Dade County, FL
Date of record: August 24, 1992

2. Hurricane Camille (1969)

Maximum sustained wind speed: 172.6 mph
Site of record: Hancock County, MS
Date of record: August 18, 1969

1. Unnamed hurricane of 1935

Maximum sustained wind speed: 184.1 mph
Site of record: Monroe County, FL
Date of record: September 3, 1935