Tropical Records
Hurricane Records Explained: Pressure, Wind, Rain, Surge, Size, and Damage
How hurricane records are measured, including minimum pressure, maximum wind, rainfall, storm surge, size, deaths, and cost.
Quick answer: Hurricane records can describe intensity, size, rainfall, surge, pressure, wind, deaths, or damage, and each metric tells a different story.
Intensity metrics
Maximum sustained wind and minimum central pressure are common intensity measures.
A lower pressure often means a stronger storm, but storm size and structure matter too.
Water records
Rainfall and storm surge can be deadlier than wind.
Slow-moving hurricanes can produce extreme flood records far inland.
Damage context
Cost depends on exposure, building codes, insurance, and where the storm makes landfall.
Category alone does not capture total risk.