Emily's earliest Cat 5 record lasted only 19 years. In 2024, Beryl became a Cat 5 hurricane on July 1, a whopping 15 days earlier than Emily did in 2005.

Other examples include Category 5 Hurricane Anita, which slammed northeast Mexico in the second least active season in 1977, and Category 3 Hurricane Emily's strike on Hispaniola in 1987.

Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30, and NOAA forecasters said in May that they expected this one to be more active than an average year. The season typically reaches its "peak," its most active ...

Emily's earliest Cat 5 record lasted only 19 years. In 2024, Beryl became a Cat 5 hurricane on July 1, a whopping 15 days earlier than Emily did in 2005.