Hurricane Tobias (2022)

Hurricane Tobias was the most powerful tropical cyclone on record in the Atlantic, as well as the third most intense worldwide, behind 2015's Hurricane Patricia and 1979's Typhoon Tip. Part of the record-breaking 2022 Atlantic hurricane season (which also included multiple other extremely intense tropical cyclones), Tobias was the nineteenth storm, fourteenth hurricane, tenth major hurricane and the fourth Category 5 hurricane of the season. Along with that, Tobias was the most destructive tropical cyclone of the season and worldwide, and the deadliest cyclone in the Atlantic basin. A tropical wave emerged off the West coast of Africa and travelled across the Atlantic, changing intensities rapidly. During this phase of its existence, Tobias peaked as a Category 1 hurricane. Once east of the Bahamas, Tobias performed a brief Fujiwhara interaction with Tropical Depression Twenty-three. Under extremely favorable conditions, with moisture provided by the remnants of the depression, virtually no wind shear and extremely warm waters, Tobias underwent a period of extremely rapid intensification, the fastest one observed worldwide; the storm's winds increased from 65 mph to 190 mph in just 4 hours.

Tobias further intensified, reaching peak winds of 210 mph and a central pressure of just 874 mBar. It then went on to make landfall on Florida with winds reaching 205 mph. The storm passed over Florida roughly unscathed, and went on to make one more landfall on Louisiana as a Category 5 with winds of 195 mph, and Texas as a Category 4 with winds of 155 mph. Afterwards, the storm travelled inwards and dissipated.

Tobias made three landfalls during its lifetime, two of those as a Category 5 hurricane. The most destructive effects were felt in Florida, where the storms powerful winds wiped entire communities off the Earth, with rain submerging numerous other areas. At least 48,035 deaths occurred across the US, with around 30,000 from Florida alone. Tobias caused roughly 204 billion dollars in damages, becoming the costliest hurricane and natural disaster on record.