5 of the most destructive October hurricanes to make US landfall
October has a proven track record of packing a punch before hurricane season concludes.
Wilma was designated as a Category 5 Hurricane on Oct. 19 after forming in the Central Carribean Sea as the 24th tropical depression of the 2005 Hurricane Season, which remains one of the most active on record. Hurricane Hunters showcase aircraft flown into storms ahead of hurricane season 2025
Captain Nate Kahn, commanding officer of the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the aircraft used to fly into hurricanes.
Hurricane season annually keeps millions on their toes from June to November. But while the climatological peak of hurricane season has passed by October, residents living along the East and Gulf coasts of the U.S. shouldn't let their guard down. While historically, the month of October produces storms less frequently than August and September, that doesn't mean October storms don't pack a punch.
October Historical Landfalls
Here are 5 of the worst October hurricanes on record:
HURRICANE MITCH – October 1998
Hurricane Mitch began as a Tropical Storm over the Carribean Sea on Oct. 22, 1998 and rapidly strengthened into a monster Category 5 hurricane just four days later.
According to the NOAA, Mitch is the eighth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record and the second-strongest October storm.
Mitch first did damage as a Category 1 Hurricane after making landfall in Honduras, causing high winds, waves and storm surge. Heavy rain and severe flooding killed thousands in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala, leaving a path of destruction across Central America.
Hurricane Mitch viewed from a satellite in October 1998.
(NOAA / FOX Weather)
After tearing through Central America, Mitch moved back into the Gulf of Mexico with its sights set on Florida and made a second landfall as a tropical storm, causing $40 million in damage and killing two in Florida, according to NOAA.
In the end, Mitch was deemed extra-tropical on Nov. 5, 1988, after it had become the second-deadliest hurricane, responsible for over 10,000 deaths, only behind the "Great Hurricane" of 1780.
ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON IS STILL DANGEROUS IN OCTOBER
HURRICANE MICHAEL – October 2018
Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida after reaching Category 5 status in the Atlantic basin. Matthew brought devastating winds and storm surge to the Gulf Coast, in addition to heavy rain and wind that caused billions of dollars in damages.
After landing on the Florida Panhandle, Michael continued through Florida, into Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, before crossing into Virginia and dissipating into the Atlantic Ocean.
Damage from Hurricane Michael is seen in Mexico Beach, Florida, in November 2018, a little more than a month after landfall.
(Aaron Barker / FOX Weather)
Hurricane Michael was responsible for the deaths of 16 and caused over $25 billion in damage in the United States alone, according to NOAA.
HURRICANE WILMA – October 2005
Hurricane Wilma was designated as a Category 5 Hurricane on Oct. 19 after forming in the Central Carribean Sea as the 24th tropical depression of the 2005 Hurricane Season, which remains one of the most active on record.
This satellite image shows Hurricane Wilma on Oct. 19, 2005.
(FOX Weather)
Wilma headed to the Florida Gulf Coast after ravaging the Yucatán Peninsula and setting records in the Atlantic Basin days earlier.
While the storm weakened by the time it made landfall in Cape Romano, Florida in the early hours of Oct. 24, 2005, Wilma still brought winds of 120 mph as it crossed over the Sunshine State with the same intensity over a 5-hour period.
Wilma Landfall Graphic
By the time the storm fizzled back out to sea near Jupiter, Florida, Wilma had left 87 dead and close to $30 billion in damage, according to NOAA.
But long after Wilma passed, the hardship continued as it took nearly two weeks to restore power for most of the areas affected due to the severity of the damaged infrastructure.
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HURRICANE / SUPERSTORM SANDY – October 2012
Sandy made landfall near Brigantine, New Jersey as a post-tropical hurricane on Oct. 29, 2012 after moving from the Caribbean up the United States Eastern Seaboard a week earlier, battering New York City and the East Coast in the process.
The Superstorm caused widespread damage and had a colossal impact on both life and property, with the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Cyclone Report calling for an estimated death count of 147 direct deaths.
Aerial views of a house that was moved off its foundation and sits in the middle of the bay near Mantaloking, New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy hit.
(Debra L Rothenberg / Getty Images)
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Sandy was responsible for damaging at least 650,000 houses and left approximately 8.5 million customers without power during the storm and in its aftermath.
The devastating effects of Sandy were felt as far west as Wisconsin and generated blizzard conditions in western North Carolina and West Virginia, resulting in snowfall totals of as high as 3 feet.
Storm surge caused significant damage to public infrastructure, flooding New York City Subway tunnels, inundating runways at both LaGuardia and Kennedy airports and causing an estimated $400 million in damage to the New Jersey Transit system.
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HURRICANE MILTON – October 2024
Hurricane Milton made history in becoming one of the strongest hurricanes on record in the Atlantic Basin by lowest measured atmospheric pressure as it roared to Category 5 strength in the Gulf of America with peak winds estimated at 180 mph.
MANASOTA KEY, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 12: A home along the Gulf of Mexico is seen after it was destroyed when Hurricane Milton passed through the area on October 12, 2024, in Manasota Key, Florida. People continue recovering following the storm that made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in the Siesta Key area of Florida, causing damage and flooding throughout Central Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
MIlton weakened a bit on its approach to Florida's Gulf Coast. But after landing near Siesta Key with winds estimated near 115 mph, and traveling east across the state, Hurricane Milton was responsible for 12 direct deaths in the US, according to the NHC's Tropical Cyclone Report.
In addition, Milton caused an estimated $34.3 billion in damage, almost exclusively in Florida. The storm displaced thousands of Floridians, destroyed buildings and ripped the roof off Tampa Bay Rays' Tropicana Field.
Tropicana Field roof shredded by Milton's winds
The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, was shredded after Hurricane Milton tore through St. Petersburg, Florida, on Wednesday evening.
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In addition to rapid storm surges of 6-9 feet, Hurricane Milton brought hundreds of Tornado Warnings across Florida as outer bands of the storm spawned a tornado outbreak, accounting for six dead.
Neighbors, friends helping Fort Pierce, Florida family after Milton tornado
Hurricane Milton spawned three EF3 tornadoes, which were considered unusually strong for a tropical cyclone.