List of Category 5 Atlantic Hurricanes - Landfalls

Landfalls

All Atlantic Category 5 hurricanes except Dog, Easy, and Cleo (1958) have made landfall at some location at some strength. Most Category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic make landfall because of their proximity to land in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, where the usual synoptic weather patterns carry them towards land, as opposed to the westward, oceanic mean track of Eastern Pacific hurricanes. Thirteen of the storms made landfall while at Category 5 intensity; 2007 is the only year in which two storms made landfall at this intensity.

Many of these systems made landfall shortly after weakening from a Category 5. This weakening can be caused by dry air near land, shallower waters due to shelving, interaction with land, or cooler waters near shore. In southern Florida, the return period for a Category 5 hurricane is roughly once every 50 years.

The hurricanes are listed in chronological order with their landfalls indicated. Because they never made landfall, Hurricanes Dog, Easy, and Cleo 1958 are not included. Hurricane Dog is the only Category 5 hurricane that didn't make landfalls but still caused deaths and damages.

The following table is based on the intensity at landfall, separated by category on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale.