Tropical Storm Harvey (2005) - Hurricane Wilma

Hurricane Wilma

Tropical Depression Twenty-four formed southwest of Jamaica on October 15 and was upgraded to a tropical storm on October 17. On October 18, the storm developed a tiny, well-defined eye and began intensifying rapidly, reaching Category 5 strength with a record-setting pressure of 882 millibars by October 19. The rapid intensification from tropical storm to Category 5 hurricane in 24 hours was the fastest ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, and the second-fastest worldwide, after Super Typhoon Forrest. Wilma slowly drifted towards the Yucatán Peninsula, weakening slowly to a Category 4 before landfall on Cozumel and then the Yucatán coast on October 22. It drifted equally slowly over the peninsula, bringing heavy rain and wind to an area hit hard by Hurricane Emily only 3 months before; Hurricane Emily had also passed directly over Cozumel. After leaving the Yucatán as a Category 2 storm, the storm moved rapidly to the northeast and strengthened slightly, making landfall on southern Florida on October 24 as a Category 3 storm. After crossing Florida, Wilma reintensified to a Category 3 storm over the Gulf Stream but sped rapidly out into the Atlantic, and became extratropical shortly after absorbing the remnants of Tropical Storm Alpha (see below).

62 people are confirmed dead as a result of Wilma, 28 from the direct effects of the storm and 34 from indirect effects, with majority of the deaths, 35, in the United States. Wilma caused $28.8 billion (2005 USD) in damages across the Caribbean, Mexico and Florida, including $20.6 billion in Florida, making Wilma the third-costliest hurricane to strike the United States. Well-executed evacuations throughout its path may have lessened the death toll.

• The NHC's archive on Hurricane Wilma