Florida Could Soon See a Category 6 Hurricane

Hurricane Ian peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 160 mph on September 28, 2022. The hurricane weakened slightly to become a high-end Category 4 hurricane with winds of 155 mph as it struck Cayo Costa. Many areas of Southwest Florida were completely devastated with one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit Florida. A category 5 hurricane is currently the highest rated storm on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. But will they need to revise the scale and add a Category 6 Hurricane?

In a research paper submitted at MIT, with hurricane intensity increasing, they propose a need to expand the scale is needed. Currently, the designation for a Cat 5 hurricane is wind speeds >157 mph. The proposal would be for Category 5 hurricanes to be classified with wind speeds from 157 to 192 mph. A new level, the Category 6 hurricane would be wind speeds >192 mph. Do we need this?

Five Category 5 storms exceeded the hypothetical category 6 level in the last 9 years. Hurricane Patricia, the most powerful hurricane on record, occurred in the Eastern Pacific making landfall in Jalisco, Mexico on October 23rd, 2015. Patricia's highest winds were measured at 215 mph. A fortunate eyewall replacement occurred just before landfall, reducing the storm to a Category 4. The other hypothetical Category 6 storms happened in the Western Pacific. Can this level of intensity happen in the Atlantic, or Gulf Of Mexico?

Hurricane Wilma was close. Wilma struck our Southwest Florida area as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds on October 24th, 2005. Before she arrived, Wilma had peak winds of 185 mph. Not quite enough to hit the proposed threshold to be a Category 6. Earlier that year, Hurricane Rita, which slid just below Florida in September of 2005 had maximum winds of 180 mph. Hurricane Katrina which made the most headlines that year, had a top speed of 174 mph. Many forget that Katrina crossed over Florida before heading to New Orleans. Fast forward 18 years.

According to NOAA, "June-August 2023 was  the Northern Hemisphere's hottest meteorological summer on record." So last summer was even hotter than the explosive hurricane season of 2005. Now, since ocean temperatures help fuel these gigantic storms, it's no stretch to believe that the storms that hit Florida, could hit even harder in the future.

The US National Hurricane Center would be the one to make the changes, however, they've not made any announcement thus far.

The Saffir–Simpson scale was first introduced in 1973, but with the intensity of some of the storms seen since then, maybe it is time for an update. Lastly, we've recently seen the immense damage caused by a category 4 hurricane. Let's hope Florida never has to witness a Category 6.

It's been a few months since my last trip to Pine Island. Every time I visit one of Southwest Florida barrier islands I still hold my breath, wondering what things are going to look like.  What is still standing and what has been razed due to too much hurricane damage. It's nice to see the piles of debris cleaned up. Hopeful. However, those wide open beaches and lots are also a cruel reminder that  someone's home or business once stood there. The island is showing great signs of recovery but there is still a long way to go as evidence by these heartbreaking photos of Matlacha 17 months after Hurricane Ian.

The bridge crossing from Cape Coral to Pine Island is still undergoing repairs and can get congested. Matlacha is the community that welcomes visitors to the island. It is small, on a narrow strip of land that is a haven for both artists and fishermen. It has an eclectic, funky vibe with brightly colored homes and businesses. Cottages full of upscale art share the island with dive bars full of shrimpers and everything in between. It is uniquely Florida and people love it.

I did not venture onto the rest of Pine Island this trip but was told it is in various stages of repair also. Part of the problem with rebuilding much of Matlacha is the fact that many structures were on land that eroded and were washed away by the hurricane. Not to mention the bureaucracy of insurance and government that so many hurricane survivors are all too familiar with.

If you go to Matlacha, many of the shops and galleries have reopened. For dining, The Perfect Cup is open and so is Blue Dog Bar and Grill. Further into Pine Island, The Lazy Flamingo and Tarpon Lodge are also open for dining. I was at the lodge over the summer and here are some photos I took from the drive out. You can see not all is gloom and doom.

Here is an update. Check out there photos of Matlacha 17 months after Hurricane Ian. Take a drive and visit the businesses that are open if you can.