Dear Tom,
Were the very low air pressure readings in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita the lowest ever measured in or near the United States?
A. Johnston, Chicago
Dear A. Johnson,
Katrina and Rita reached their greatest intensities as Category 5 storms while still well south of the U.S. Gulf Coast, Katrina at 26.64 inches of mercury on August 28 and Rita at 26.49 inches on September 22. While extreme, neither of those values are U.S. records.
Sustained winds in both storms were estimated to be 175 m.p.h. at the times of lowest central air pressure.
The devastating Florida Keys hurricane of Sept. 2, 1935, generated a central pressure of 26.35 inches at Matecumbe Key, a reading that still stands as the lowest air pressure ever measured in the United States.
Sustained winds at landfall, at Category 5 intensity, were 160 m.p.h. with gusts over 200 m.p.h.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
