In October 2005, I had just started blogging for AccuWeather when Hurricane Wilma became the strongest ever Hurricane in the Atlantic basin.
Published Oct 22, 2020 8:57 PM EDT
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In October 2005, Hurricane Wilma became the strongest ever Hurricane in the Atlantic basin (a record that stands to this day), before it devastated Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and raked through southern Florida. You can read a complete recap of the storm in our story "Forecasters recall the 'phenomenal' intensity of a storm that was overshadowed by Katrina."
Hurricane Wilma 2005
AccuWeather
The storm was preceded by other huge storms that season including Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Katrina. I had just started blogging for AccuWeather.com that fateful autumn; below is a list of each blog entry that I penned about Hurricane Wilma, along with a selection of multimedia imagery and links to other resources.
Hurricane Wilma's eye expanded from a record small diameter of 2 miles to nearly 50 miles one day later.
(Blogs about the Nor'easter/superstorm/snowstorm, into which Wilma's moisture flowed, are also included).
Hurricane Wilma, 20 Years Later
The hurricane season of 2005 was the first time that AccuWeather had sent its own reporters into the storm. Although the original videos were streamed in 240p on AccuWeather.com, you can see all of them here, in stunning 480p:
At its peak in the Caribbean, Category 5 Hurricane Wilma had maximum sustained winds measured at 185 mph by the Hurricane Hunters' recon, while pressure dropped to 882 mb (26.05" Hg), a new record for the Atlantic basin. The sustained winds reading tied it with other superstorms as the number two storm, exceeded only by Hurricane Allen in 1980, which had estimated sustained winds of 190 mph.
Hurricane Wilma radar composite as the storm crossed Florida.
CIMSS
When the storm hit southwest Florida as a Cat 3, winds were clocked as high as 117 mph when the storm hit southwest Florida, although unofficial readings were as high as 134 mph. This map shows estimated winds at landfall (purple is over 100 knots or 115 mph):
Hurricane Wilma Winds at Landfall
NOAA
Storm surge was immense and as high as 18 feet.
Hurricane Wilma Storm Surge
NOAA
The storm remained remarkably resilient as it crossed Florida, dropping over 10 inches of rain on the Space Coast and causing major damage even at its exit point in the Miami area, where there was much more population affected.
Hurricane Wilma Building Damage at the storm's exit point in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Photo of Hurricane Wilma taken from NASA's International Space Station.
NASA
After moving off the coast of Florida, Wilma's moisture fed into a coastal storm to its north which caused waves even larger than when Hurricane Wilma was in the Caribbean, 37.4 feet at a buoy off of Nova Scotia.
AccuWeather Wilma/Superstorm Forecast 10/25/05
AccuWeather
The new storm also caused high winds (74 mph at Cape May, NJ and 97 mph at Mt. Washington, NH), heavy coastal rain and damage, and heavy snow in the mountains of the Appalachians (even here at AccuWeather HQ in State College, PA). More than a foot was recorded in 5 states, with peak amounts of 20 inches at Jay Peak, VT and 27.5 inches at Mt. Washington, NH.
October 2005 Snow
AccuWeather
Over its time in Mexico, the hurricane unleashed an astonishing 24-hour rainfall total of 62.05 inches on the Mexican island of Islas Mujeres, while high winds and flooding devastated the Cancun area.
Hurricane Wilma Cancun Radar Loop
SMN
3D Satellite of Hurricane Wilma nearing Mexico, NASA
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Remembering Hurricane Wilma 2005
In October 2005, I had just started blogging for AccuWeather when Hurricane Wilma became the strongest ever Hurricane in the Atlantic basin.
Published Oct 22, 2020 8:57 PM EDT
In October 2005, Hurricane Wilma became the strongest ever Hurricane in the Atlantic basin (a record that stands to this day), before it devastated Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and raked through southern Florida. You can read a complete recap of the storm in our story "Forecasters recall the 'phenomenal' intensity of a storm that was overshadowed by Katrina."
Hurricane Wilma 2005
The storm was preceded by other huge storms that season including Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Katrina. I had just started blogging for AccuWeather.com that fateful autumn; below is a list of each blog entry that I penned about Hurricane Wilma, along with a selection of multimedia imagery and links to other resources.
Hurricane Wilma's eye expanded from a record small diameter of 2 miles to nearly 50 miles one day later.
Mysterious 2 Appears in Wilma Radar (11/03/05)
Saffir: Miami Window Damage Unusual (11/02/05)
Nor’easter / Wilma’s Greatest Hits (10/26/05)
Super or Not, It’s Got 28-Foot Waves (10/25/05)
Snowstorm Update and Webcams (10/25/05)
Hurricane Wilma Damage Photos (10/25/05)
Snow Hits East – Webcams (10/25/05)
36-Foot Waves, 134 mph Winds (10/24/05)
Superstorm 2005 In Progress (10/24/05)
Latest News on Wilma FL Hit (10/24/05)
NASA Spies Heavy Rain in 3-D (10/23/05)
Wilma Spawns Tornadoes in Cuba (10/23/05)
First Snow in New England (10/23/05)
Wilma Yucatan Damage Photos (10/23/05)
First Snow in the Northeast (10/23/05)
The Perfect Storm II? (10/23/05)
Record Broken: Tropical Storm Alpha (10/22/05)
Wilma’s Eye Close-Up and News (10/22/05)
36 Foot Waves: Wilma Thrashes Gulf (10/21/05)
Hurricane Wilma Pounds Yucatan (10/21/05)
Hurricane Wilma’s Eye Expands (10/21/05)
Mexican Radar Shows Wilma’s Eye (10/20/05)
Wilma Proves Deadly in Caribbean (10/20/05)
Cat-5 Wilma Most Powerful Ever! (10/19/05)
Hurricane Wilma’s Probabilities (10/18/05)
Votes Are In – Beta is the Winner (10/02/05)
VOTE – Will Storm Record Be Broken? (09/19/05)
(Blogs about the Nor'easter/superstorm/snowstorm, into which Wilma's moisture flowed, are also included).
The hurricane season of 2005 was the first time that AccuWeather had sent its own reporters into the storm. Although the original videos were streamed in 240p on AccuWeather.com, you can see all of them here, in stunning 480p:
At its peak in the Caribbean, Category 5 Hurricane Wilma had maximum sustained winds measured at 185 mph by the Hurricane Hunters' recon, while pressure dropped to 882 mb (26.05" Hg), a new record for the Atlantic basin. The sustained winds reading tied it with other superstorms as the number two storm, exceeded only by Hurricane Allen in 1980, which had estimated sustained winds of 190 mph.
Hurricane Wilma radar composite as the storm crossed Florida.
When the storm hit southwest Florida as a Cat 3, winds were clocked as high as 117 mph when the storm hit southwest Florida, although unofficial readings were as high as 134 mph. This map shows estimated winds at landfall (purple is over 100 knots or 115 mph):
Hurricane Wilma Winds at Landfall
Storm surge was immense and as high as 18 feet.
Hurricane Wilma Storm Surge
The storm remained remarkably resilient as it crossed Florida, dropping over 10 inches of rain on the Space Coast and causing major damage even at its exit point in the Miami area, where there was much more population affected.
Hurricane Wilma Building Damage at the storm's exit point in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Other good resources on Hurricane Wilma include:
NASA (Hurricane Wilma ISS Photos)
NASA (Hurricane Wilma Satellite/Precip Images)
NWS Key West (Hurricane Wilma Retrospective)
NWS Miami (Hurricane Wilma Retrospective)
NWS Tampa Bay (Hurricane Wilma Retrospective)
Photo of Hurricane Wilma taken from NASA's International Space Station.
After moving off the coast of Florida, Wilma's moisture fed into a coastal storm to its north which caused waves even larger than when Hurricane Wilma was in the Caribbean, 37.4 feet at a buoy off of Nova Scotia.
AccuWeather Wilma/Superstorm Forecast 10/25/05
The new storm also caused high winds (74 mph at Cape May, NJ and 97 mph at Mt. Washington, NH), heavy coastal rain and damage, and heavy snow in the mountains of the Appalachians (even here at AccuWeather HQ in State College, PA). More than a foot was recorded in 5 states, with peak amounts of 20 inches at Jay Peak, VT and 27.5 inches at Mt. Washington, NH.
October 2005 Snow
Over its time in Mexico, the hurricane unleashed an astonishing 24-hour rainfall total of 62.05 inches on the Mexican island of Islas Mujeres, while high winds and flooding devastated the Cancun area.
Hurricane Wilma Cancun Radar Loop
3D Satellite of Hurricane Wilma nearing Mexico, NASA