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Remembering Hurricane Wilma (2005)

| October 19, 2013 @ 9:00 am

At 08:01 GMT (3:01 a.m. CDT) on October 19, 2005, Air Force Hurricane Hunters measured a central pressure of 884 millibars in Hurricane Wilma while it was over the western Caribbean.

Here is the vortex data message from the plane that early morning:

URNT12 KNHC 190835
VORTEX DATA MESSAGE
A. 19/08:00:30Z
B. 17 deg 03 min N
082 deg 20 min W
C. 700 mb 2082 m
D. NA kt
E. NA deg nm
F. 320 deg 166 kt
G. 221 deg 003 nm
H. 884 mb
I. 10 C/ 3073 m
J. 24 C/ 3043 m
K. 10 C/ NA
L. CLOSED
M. C4
N. 12345/ 7
O. 0.02 / 1 nm
P. AF308 0724A WILMA OB 16
MAX FL WIND 168 KT SE QUAD 06:10:20 Z

But the surface pressure when the dropsonde hit the ocean was still 23 knots, and meteorologists know that the device did not find the true center. So, the observation was adjusted to 882 millibars, which is the lowest barometric reading ever observed in an Atlantic Hurricane. Since the hurricane was intensifying at the time, it is likely that the pressure was even lower.

Hurricane Wilma at maximum intensity on October 19, 2005.

Hurricane Wilma at maximum intensity on October 19, 2005.

The record low pressure was measured at the end of a period of amazing strengthening that is also a record as the pressure dropped 97 millibars in 24 hours!

The eye of shrunk to an amazing 2.3 miles in diameter, also a record for any Atlantic tropical cyclone.

Top winds at the time were 185 mph. Just 24 hours before, the winds had been 70 mph.

Wilma would strike the Yucatan Peninsula on the 20th and 21st and become the worst disaster in the history of Mexico. Damages totaled $3 billion.

The storm weakened, but regained category Three status in the Gulf before striking southern Florida on the 24th. U.S. damages totaled $20.4 billion.

A total of 62 people were killed by the storm.

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Category: Met 101/Weather History, Tropical

About the Author ()

Bill Murray is the President of The Weather Factory. He is the site's official weather historian and a weekend forecaster. He also anchors the site's severe weather coverage. Bill Murray is the proud holder of National Weather Association Digital Seal #0001 @wxhistorian

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