Florida is the most hurricane-prone state in the country. Pinpointing the single “strongest” hurricane is complicated because intensity is measured in two different ways: minimum central pressure and maximum sustained wind speed. The most intense historical storms are determined by one metric, while the strongest storms of the modern era are often judged by the other.
How Hurricane Intensity is Measured
The strength of a tropical cyclone is primarily quantified by two metrics: maximum sustained wind speed and minimum central barometric pressure. These two measurements are closely related, as the extreme low pressure at the center of the storm drives the surrounding air inward, generating high winds.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS) is the tool most often used by the public, classifying storms from Category 1 to 5 based solely on maximum sustained wind speed. A Category 5 requires sustained winds of 157 mph or higher. For historical comparison, minimum central barometric pressure is frequently used as the benchmark for a hurricane’s overall intensity. A lower pressure reading indicates a more powerful atmospheric vortex, making it the preferred metric for determining the most intense historical storm.
The Record Holder for Lowest Pressure
By the measure of minimum central pressure, the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane is the strongest storm to ever make landfall in the United States and Florida. This powerful storm struck the Florida Keys on September 2, 1935, at peak intensity. Its central pressure was officially recorded at 892 millibars (mb), which remains the lowest pressure ever measured at landfall in the contiguous United States.
This exceptionally low pressure reading suggests an intensity rarely seen in the Atlantic basin. While there were no modern instruments to measure the wind directly, reanalysis studies estimate the storm’s maximum sustained winds were near 185 miles per hour at landfall. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane was the first Category 5 hurricane on record to strike the contiguous U.S. It devastated the Upper Florida Keys. The storm’s intensity set a standard for atmospheric power that has not been surpassed in nearly a century of record-keeping.
Hurricanes Setting Modern Wind Speed Benchmarks
While the 1935 storm holds the pressure record, two hurricanes from the modern satellite era set high, verifiable wind speed benchmarks in Florida. Hurricane Andrew (1992) and Hurricane Michael (2018) are the only other storms besides the 1935 hurricane to make landfall in Florida as Category 5 storms.
Hurricane Andrew made landfall in South Florida near Homestead on August 24, 1992, with a minimum central pressure of 922 mb. Its maximum sustained winds were estimated at 165 mph at landfall. Andrew was a relatively small storm, which allowed it to rapidly intensify just before striking the coast.
Hurricane Michael made landfall near Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle on October 10, 2018. Post-storm analysis determined Michael was a Category 5 at landfall, with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. Michael’s central pressure at landfall was 919 mb, making it the third-most intense U.S. landfalling hurricane on record by pressure, trailing only the 1935 storm and Hurricane Camille (1969). Although Michael’s pressure was lower than Andrew’s, Andrew’s wind speed was slightly higher, illustrating the complexity in comparing storm strength.