Hurricane Ian Reached Category 5 Status Over Gulf, NHC Post-storm Study Finds

Allan Harriger works to secure a water line on a lot that was cleared of six homes after they were destroyed by Hurricane Ian on January 25, 2023 in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The process of rebuilding continues four months after the hurricane passed. JOE RAEDLE/ACCUWEATHER

Hurricane Ian was the storm that defined the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane season with communities across Florida still grappling with the aftermath of one of the most catastrophic weather events in the United States last year.

On Monday, April 3, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) released its final analysis of the monstrous storm. When reanalyzing data from the hurricane, meteorologists found that it was stronger than previously thought, propelling Ian into the upper echelon of hurricane intensity.