THG's Hurricane Wilma 2005 (WMHB)

Hurricane Wilma was the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, as well as the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide until being surpassed by Hurricane Patricia of 2015, 10 years later. Hurricane Wilma caused widespread destruction to Yucatan Mexico before traversing across the Gulf of Mexico landfalling in New Orleans, an area already devastated by Hurricane Katrina earlier that year. Hurricane Wilma was the 22nd storm of the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane season, originating from a broad shortwave trough in the southwestern Caribbean Sea on October 16, 2005. The disturbance became a tropical depression on October 16, and became a tropical storm on October 17th under favorable conditions. There was slow strengthening into a category one hurricane, until a period of explosive intensification occurred on October 19th, and in only 18 hours-Wilma strengthened from a category one hurricane with wind speeds of 80 MPH to a category five hurricane with record winds of 200 MPH, making Wilma the fastest intensifying tropical cyclone on record, as well as surpassing Hurricane Allen of 1980's wind speed. Shortly after the explosive intensification, Wilma began to turn northwest and moved towards the Yucatan. On October 21, Hurricane Wilma accelerated and reached the Yucatan landfalling with winds of 185 MPH, making Wilma the strongest land-falling hurricane on record in the Yucatan.

WIP