The 11 strongest hurricanes ever to hit the Atlantic Ocean

The storm, which reached Category 4 status on Monday, is expected to hit the Carolinas on Thursday or Friday.

The Atlantic Ocean has seen its fair share of strong storms — 2017's Hurricane Irma reached a maximum sustained wind speed of 185 mph, making it the strongest storm outside the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.

The categories on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale are determined based on wind speed and storm surge, but that's not the only element of a hurricane that causes damage. Flooding, a metric those categories don't take into account, can often become a costly problem, as seen when Hurricane Harvey flooded parts of Texas and Louisiana in 2017.

To put big storms into perspective, here are 11 hurricanes that topped the charts as the strongest in the history of the Atlantic Ocean, based on wind speed and pressure.

Hurricane Katrina, 2005 - 175 mph

costliest hurricane

Hurricane Andrew, 1992 - 175 mph

with 175-mph windsUSA Today

Hurricane Camille, 1969 - 175 mph

most intense hurricane

Hurricane Carla, 1961 - 175 mph

Hurricane Carla hit Texas as a category 4 storm in 1961, causing $2.36 billion worth of damage. Its strong winds and storm surge had devastating consequences.

Hurricane Mitch, 1998 - 180 mph

Hurricane Mitch hit Central America with 180 mph winds in 1998. The storm led to disastrous flooding in Honduras.

Hurricane Rita, 2005 - 180 mph

forgotten storm

Florida Keys hurricane, 1935 - 185 mph

An unnamed storm that tore up the Florida Keys over Labor Day in 1935 is still considered one of the "most intense" storm in US history, based on wind speeds and pressure. The wind was so powerful it knocked a train, pictured here, off the rails as it was delivering emergency supplies.

Hurricane Gilbert, 1988 - 185 mph

Hurricane Gilbert ripped up the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico in 1988 with 185-mph winds and 888 millibars of pressure, the second-lowest recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm left destruction in Jamaica and Mexico before moving north through San Antonio, pictured here.

Hurricane Wilma, 2005 - 185 mph

lowest central pressure

Hurricane Irma, 2017 - 185 mph

Last year, Hurricane Irma approached Puerto Rico and Florida with maximum winds of 185 mph, making it one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. It was part of a destructive 2017 hurricane season, and set a record for maintaining an intensity of 185 mph for 37 hours.

Hurricane Allen, 1980 - 190 mph

With max winds of 190 mph, Hurricane Allen holds the title as the storm with the highest wind speeds in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm hit along the Mexico-US border in Texas, traveling west. Allen had the highest sustained wind speeds ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere until Hurricane Patricia formed in the Pacific in 2015 with 215-mph winds.