Depending what measure of strength that is used, there could be 3 different hurricanes listed as the record holder. This article focuses only on storms in the Atlantic Basin.
Wind speed
The measure most often used to define the ‘strongest hurricane’ would be maximum sustained winds. Those winds could occur at any point in the lifetime of the hurricane. The current record holder for this measure is Hurricane Allen (1980), with winds of 190 mph hour. With sustained winds of 185 mph, Dorian (2019), has moved into a tie for second with Wilma (2005), and Gilbert (1988).
Intensity
Another measure of strength is intensity. This is measured by the deepest central pressure a hurricane strengthens to over the course of its lifetime. The most intense hurricane of all-time is Hurricane Wilma (2005), which reached a pressure of 882 mb. Dorian's pressure bottomed out at 910 mb, which ties it for 9th all-time with Hurricane Ivan (2005).
However, hurricane intensity records have only been kept since 1980.
Energy
The third measure of strength is an energy output measured by a formula called Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE). This is a measure of the total energy generated by a hurricane over the course of its lifetime.
The most energetic storm, with an ACE of 70.4, was Hurricane Ivan (2004). A long-lasting Cape Verde storm that tracked all the way from Africa to the Panhandle of Florida in 23 days, spending several days as a category 5.
Dorian's ACE value was 35 as of Tuesday at noon EST. That ranks it outside of the top 20, but its forecast to remain at least a category 4 hurricane for three more days. That will raise its ACE a little higher by the time it dissipates.
ACE can be calculated for hurricanes after 1965.
Other Dorian Records
- The 185 mph sustained winds occurred while Dorian was north of 23.5 degrees north latitude, which makes it the strongest ever recorded outside of the tropics.
- Dorian was also making landfall when its winds were sustained at 185 mph. That ties it with the Labor Day Hurricane (1935), for the strongest landfalling hurricane of all-time.
- Dorian was also a slow mover. It tracked only ~25 miles in 24 hours. That is the 2nd shortest straight-line distance tracked by an Atlantic major hurricane in a 24-hour period since 1950 (trailing only Hurricane Betsy in 1965 which tracked only ~12 miles in a straight-line distance in a 24-hour period).
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