Hurricane Milton is already the second strongest Gulf storm in history – and is only getting stronger

Hurricane Milton is already the second strongest Gulf hurricane in history, just behind Hurricane Rita – and experts expect the Category 5 storm to strengthen as it heads toward Florida.

Milton’s minimum central pressure – one of the main ways meteorologists measure hurricane strength, with lower values ​​indicating higher strength – was assessed at 897 millibars in Monday evening’s report from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

This makes the storm the second strongest hurricane to ever form in the Gulf of Mexico in history – just behind the devastating 2005 Hurricane Rita, which bottomed out at 895 MB.

But Milton still has a full day before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, and meteorologists at Fox Weather predicted the storm could get even stronger.

Milton’s winds are currently blowing at 180 miles per hour as it barrels toward the heart of Tampa Bay, a situation that Fox Weather hurricane expert Bryan Narcross said could become “one of the largest hurricane disasters in history” as it brings storm surges from up to 15 feet in height brings with it low-lying city.

Below are the other strongest Gulf hurricanes in history and how they compare to Milton.

#1 Hurricane Rita, 2005 – 895 MB

Hurricane Rita hit the Louisiana coast on September 24, 2005 as a Category 3 storm with a speed of 115 miles per hour.

According to the National Weather Service, the storm peaked over the Gulf of Mexico three days earlier as a Category 5 storm with winds of 180 miles per hour, setting the Gulf pressure record at 895 millibars.

As it neared the coast, the storm weakened in strength but still brought storm surges of up to 18 feet in some places.

Only seven deaths were attributed directly to the storm, but more than 100 were reportedly killed by its aftermath, evacuations and resulting infrastructure accidents.

#3 Hurricane Allen, 1988 – 899 MB

Hurricane Allen peaked at 899 MB on August 7, 1988, with winds of 190 miles per hour.

Fortunately, it weakened over the next three days, making landfall on August 10 at 115 mph and 945 mb.

The storm surge was only 5 feet, while Allen spawned unusually high levels of tornadoes across Texas, causing over two dozen injuries.

In the United States, there were two deaths directly caused by the storm, while more than 30 were indirectly related to it.

#4 Hurricane Camille, 1969 – 900 MB

Hurricane Camille was one of only four Category 5 storms to make landfall in the United States in recorded history.

When it reached Mississippi on August 17, 1969, it had winds of 150 miles per hour and a pressure of 900 MB.

The storm’s devastating impact was severe: strong winds destroyed buildings, while heavy rains caused severe flooding in the interior of the United States.

At least 256 deaths are directly related to the storm.

#5 Hurricane Katrina, 2005 – 902 MB

Hurricane Katrina reached its peak strength on August 28, 2005, with a speed of 902 MB and Category 5 winds of 175 miles per hour.

By the time it reached Louisiana on August 29, it had already weakened to a Category 3 storm, but the rainwater it brought with it overwhelmed New Orleans’ levees – causing the city to break and flood, resulting in a resulted in massive loss of life, making Katrina the deadliest storm in the U.S. hurricane in recorded history.

At least 1,392 people died in the storm, although some estimates put the number higher.