the last time a category 4 hurricane hit florida was 2005.
when was the last time a category 4 hurricane hit florida?
2005
irma was the first major hurricane to strike the state since wilma in 2005 and the first category 4 hurricane to make landfall in florida since charley in 2004. the storm made landfall in florida on the same date as hurricane donna, the last category 4 hurricane to strike the florida keys. irma was only the second hurricane to hit florida since wilma, the other being hermine in 2016. due to few very intense hurricanes since hurricane andrew in 1992, there was concern that many floridians never experienced or did not recall experiencing a hurricane as strong as irma was projected to be at landfall, with significant growth in population and assets during the previous 25 years.
effects of hurricane irma in florida
on august 23, a moderate tropical storm developed 200 miles (323 km) east of sint maarten. operationally, the system was treated as an easterly wave until it moved through the bahamas. it is believed that the system originated near the cape verde islands. on august 24, the tropical storm passed north of the leeward islands and san juan, puerto rico, and then strengthened to a minimal hurricane with 75 mph (120 km/h) winds on august 25. subsequently, it strengthened rapidly, and the cyclone was noted as "well developed" when it passed near nassau with 115 mph (185 km/h) winds on the morning of august 26. at the time, it was the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane on the saffir-simpson hurricane scale. the storm strengthened further over the gulf stream, and it moved ashore over the city of west palm beach as a strong category 4 hurricane around 7:20 p.m. edt. the city's airport reported calm conditions from 7:20–7:40 p.m., and the minimum central pressure of 954 mbar (28.18 inhg) was measured at the site. peak gusts were recorded at 125 mph (205 km/h) before the anemometer blew away. a maximum sustained wind of 153 mph (246 km/h) was reported from the jupiter inlet light station prior to the loss of the anemometer; although conditions were slightly more severe after the reading, reliable estimates are unavailable. the atlantic hurricane database lists the cyclone as a strong category 4 hurricane at landfall. the wind reading is the basis for the category 4 designation in the atlantic hurricane database, although a reduction from the anemometer's elevated location lends credence to the concept of a weaker system. originally, the system was designated as a category 3 hurricane in the state of florida, based on the minimum central pressure reading of 954 mbar (28.18 inhg); this pressure corresponds to the original classification of a category 3 hurricane on the saffir-simpson hurricane scale. however, modern analysis applies saffir-simpson rankings based on maximum sustained wind speeds. the 1949 florida hurricane will be eventually reanalyzed by the atlantic hurricane reanalysis project, which may find a weaker hurricane in florida. the central pressure of 954 mbar (28.18 inhg) is unusually high for a strong category 4 hurricane; the reanalysis project has discovered that hurricanes erroneously featured stronger winds than the typical pressure/wind relationship in the 1940s–1960s, unlike subsequent hurricanes in the 1970s–1980s. the evidence suggests wind speeds may have been overestimated for hurricanes in the 1940s–1960s.
1949 florida hurricane