Hurricane Wilma (2005)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

October 15, 2005 to October 26, 2005

Peak strength

Category 5, 160 kt (184 mph)

Lowest pressure

882 mb (26.05 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

38.9

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

375 nmi (695 km, 432 mi) from the center at its widest

Hurricane-force wind reached

90 nmi (167 km, 104 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

10 nmi (19 km, 12 mi)

Overall size

300 nmi (556 km, 345 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Peak gust in the best track

185 kt (213 mph)

Fastest the center moved

51 kt (59 mph)

Identifier

AL252005

Radar at KAMX as it neared land, Oct 24, 10:30 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

0 (0 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

6

Property damage

$225 million

Crop damage

$88 million

Events recorded

119 in 24 reports from 7 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

54 high wind, 19 storm surge/tide, 17 tropical storm, 7 high surf, 6 heavy rain, 5 tornado, 4 flood, 4 hurricane (typhoon), 3 flash flood.

5 tornadoes recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 396 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 13.26 inches (337 mm).

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Persistent moderate to heavy showers fell over portions of eastern Broward County, causing significant flooding. Reports of 2 to 3 feet of standing water on streets and parking lots were received from Oakland Park and Fort Lauderdale, mainly from Oakland Park Boulevard to Commercial Boulevard between NE 6th Ave and Federal Highway. Water was deep enough to come inside several homes and vehicles. Doppler radar estimated as much as 5 to 7 inches of rain over the affected area.The rains were not directly associated with Hurricane Wilma which struck the region 2 days later.

Broward, Florida · Flash Flood · Oct 22, 08:08 UTC

Hurricane Wilma passed well south of the local area with Tropical Storm Warnings issued locally from St. Augustine, Florida south to Flagler Beach. Flagler Beach Pier reported a sustained winds of 42 mph with gusts to 51 mph at 10:33 EST and sustained winds of 46 mph with gusts to 53 mph at 12:30 EST. winds one block inland in Flagler Beach averaged 30 to 35 mph with a gusts to 43 mph measured on a home weather station at 13:29 EST. Winds at the St. Augustine Pier reached 40 mph at 13:40 EST with a gust to 51 mph at 14:00. Rainfall totals of 3 to 5 inches fell on southern St. Johns County and Flagler County with some flooding of roadways reported in Flagler County.

St. Johns, Florida · Tropical Storm · Oct 24, 15:00 UTC

The Housatonic River had a flood crest of 7.18 feet at Falls Village, Connecticut on Oct 26, at 7:00 PM EST. Flood stage is 7 feet.

Northern Litchfield, Connecticut · Flood · Oct 26, 18:15 UTC

• Tropical Storm ArleneNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 death · $12 millionTropical Storm60 kt · 989 mb
• Tropical Storm BretNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 deathTropical Storm35 kt · 1002 mb
• Hurricane CindyNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 death · $320 millionCat 165 kt · 991 mb
• Hurricane DennisNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 42 deaths · $2.5 billionCat 4130 kt · 930 mb
• Hurricane EmilyNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 6 deathsCat 5140 kt · 929 mb
• Tropical Storm FranklinNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm60 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm GertNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm40 kt · 1005 mb
• Tropical Storm HarveyNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm55 kt · 994 mb
• Hurricane IreneNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 290 kt · 970 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Depression30 kt · 1008 mb
• Tropical Storm JoseNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 6 deathsTropical Storm50 kt · 998 mb
• Hurricane KatrinaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 520 deaths · $125 billionCat 5150 kt · 902 mb
• Tropical Storm LeeNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm35 kt · 1006 mb
• Hurricane MariaNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 3100 kt · 962 mb
• Hurricane NateNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 180 kt · 979 mb
• Hurricane OpheliaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 death · $70 millionCat 175 kt · 976 mb
• Hurricane PhilippeNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 170 kt · 985 mb
• Hurricane RitaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 7 deaths · $12 billionCat 5155 kt · 895 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Depression30 kt · 1006 mb
• Hurricane StanNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 80 deathsCat 170 kt · 977 mb
• Unnamed tropical stormNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm45 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm TammyNorth Atlantic · 2005 · $25 millionTropical Storm45 kt · 1001 mb
• Unnamed tropical stormNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm40 kt · 1005 mb
• Hurricane VinceNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 165 kt · 988 mb
• Tropical Storm AlphaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 28 deathsTropical Storm45 kt · 998 mb
• Hurricane BetaNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 3100 kt · 962 mb
• Tropical Storm GammaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 37 deathsTropical Storm45 kt · 1002 mb
• Tropical Storm DeltaNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm60 kt · 980 mb
• Hurricane EpsilonNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 175 kt · 981 mb
• Tropical Storm ZetaNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm55 kt · 994 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Wilma