When was the last Category 5 hurricane to strike the United States?

On Monday, Hurricane Milton became a Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.

At it’s peak on Monday, Milton had maximum sustained winds of 180 mph and a minimum central pressure of 897 mb, which put it on a list of some of the most intense hurricanes to ever develop in the Atlantic basin.

• Milton joins a list of some of the most intense hurricanes on record, here are some other ones

Milton weakened to a Category 4 Tuesday before restrengthening to a Category 5 at 4 p.m. It is forecasted to hit the western coast of Florida near Tampa, moving across the state before heading back out to sea in the Atlantic Ocean.

Milton will most likely be below a Category 5 hurricane when it makes landfall in Florida, but just making it to the strength it did is a feat on its own.

But when was the last time a hurricane made a direct landfall on the mainland United States as a Category 5?

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There have been several hurricanes over the years that have achieved Category 5 strength, including Hurricane Beryl which became a Category 5 in the Caribbean. Beryl would ultimately lose much of its strength thanks to environmental conditions and interactions with land before making it’s final landfall on the Texas Coast as a Category 1.

There have been a few other storms that have achieved Category 5 status over the years, but none have actually hit the mainland U.S. with that strength.

• Has a hurricane ever moved like Milton before?

The last time a Category 5 hurricane hit the country was in October 2018, also in Florida and also a storm with the first letter M.

Hurricane Michael

On Oct. 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael moved ashore in the Florida Panhandle as a devastating and unprecedented Category 5 hurricane.

At landfall, Michael had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and a minimum central pressure of 919 mb.

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Michael caused catastrophic damage from both storm surge and wind, especially in areas around Panama City and Mexico Beach.

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Florida says damage extended well inland as Michael maintained hurricane strength into southwest Georgia.

A peak storm surge between 9-14 feet impacted areas from Mexico Beach to Indian Pass.

At least 50 people died either as a direct or indirect result of Michael.

Because of the widespread destruction associated with Hurricane Michael, it’s name was retired and will never again be used for future storms.