Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma is already one for the record books.

On Tuesday, the National Weather Service reported the storm had become a Category 5 with sustained winds of 180 miles per hour. That means Irma now ranks among the most powerful hurricanes (as measured by windspeed) ever recorded.

According to the NWS, Irma is the strongest storm ever in the Atlantic (not counting those that reached the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico). And it’s not far off from the all-time record hurricane wind speed of 190 mph.

Even if this storm does not have major impacts to the mainland US, it is poised to unleash havoc on the countries in the Caribbean in its path. Recall in 2016, Hurricane Matthew killed more than 500 in Haiti while largely sparing the United States.

The beginning of September is peak hurricane season. Already, yet another storm, Jose, has formed. And it also may impact the Eastern Caribbean over the weekend.