 On October 17 , Hurricane Rick was classified a Category 5 hurricane , becoming the first in the eastern Pacific basin since Hurricane Kenna in 2002 and the first east of the International Date Line since Hurricane Ioke in 2006 . The storm also became the thirteenth cyclone of this intensity east of the International Date Line since official records in the Eastern Pacific began in 1949 . Shortly after being upgraded to Category 5 , Rick attained its peak intensity with winds of 180 mph ( 290 km / h ; 156 kn ) and a barometric pressure of 906 mbar ( 906 @.@ 00 hPa ; 26 @.@ 75 inHg ) , making it the second @-@ strongest hurricane ever recorded in the East Pacific , surpassing Kenna . Only Hurricane Linda of 1997 was stronger than Rick , with minimum pressure of 902 mbar ( 902 hPa ; 26 @.@ 6 inHg ) . Hurricane Patricia in 2015 later far surpassed both Rick and Linda , attaining a pressure of 872 mbar ( hPa ; 25 @.@ 75 inHg ) . It also became the second storm in the basin to have sustained winds of 180 mph ( 290 km / h ; 156 kn ) or higher , the first being Linda with 185 mph ( 298 km / h ; 161 kn ) winds . Patricia surpassed both with 215 mph ( 346 km / h ; 187 kn ) winds . 
