Skip to main content
Cloudy icon
66º

6 facts you didn't know about Hurricane Dorian

Dorian was 18th hurricane to make landfall in North Carolina since 1950

NOAA's forecast for Hurricane Dorian's path, as of September 6 at 5 a.m. ET.

ORLANDO, Fla. – For two weeks, Hurricane Dorian made a path through the Caribbean Sea into the Atlantic and up the eastern seaboard, reaching as far as Nova Scotia.

During that time, the powerful storm made a few records, not counting the devastation tally that will continue for a while. 

Recommended Videos



Dr. Philip Klotzbach of Colorado State University comprised a list of notable points as Dorian ran its course.

He's a notable meteorologist in tropical weather and Atlantic Basin seasonal forecasts. Here are six things that made his list that you may or may not know about this strong Category 5 storm. 

Hurricane Dorian was by no means the fastest storm to pass by. In fact, it took the second place spot for the shortest straight-line distance tracked in an Atlantic major hurricane in a 24-hour period since 1950. The storm moved roughly 25 miles in a full day.

That's pretty slow, but Hurricane Betsy was even slower. In 1965 Betsy only tracked roughly 12 miles in a 24-hour period. 

Central pressure is another biggie in hurricanes.

The more the central pressure drops the stronger the storm. Hurricane Dorian had a lifetime minimum central pressure of 910 hPa.

That tied Hurricane Ivan from 2004 for the ninth lowest pressure in the Atlantic Basin since 1980. 

As Hurricane Dorian made landfall on Abaco Island it was packing 185 mph winds and central pressure readings were 911 hPa. It was a monster Category 5 storm that set new records while bringing widespread devastation that covered Grand Bahama Island as well.

Dorian is the strongest storm on record to make landfall in the Bahamas by pressure, but the record list keeps going. It was also the strongest hurricane on record to hit Abaco Island and the first Category 5 storm to make landfall onGrand Bahama Island. 

Dorian didn't stop there.

It became the 18th hurricane to make landfall in North Carolina since 1950. That includes Hurricane Hazel, which was a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on the border of North and South Carolina in 1954. 
 


About the Author
Samara Cokinos headshot

Emmy Award Winning Meteorologist Samara Cokinos joined the News 6 team in September 2017. In her free time, she loves running and being outside.

Loading...