The 10 strongest hurricanes ever to hit the Atlantic Ocean

As of Wednesday, Hurricane Irma was crossing over the Caribbean, making its way toward Puerto Rico and Florida with maximum winds of 185 mph. That certainly ranks it as the one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Since it's still an active Category 5 hurricane, however, it's not yet possible to know exactly where it will fall in this list.

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.

Hurricane Wilma broke records at the time as the most intense hurricane ever to hit the Atlantic Ocean. It had the lowest central pressure of any hurricane in the Atlantic basin, with an estimated pressure of 882 millibars. The Category 3 storm was especially damaging to Mexico, Cuba, and Florida.

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.

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.

Just a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana, Hurricane Rita formed. The storm brought heavy rainfall to the state again, and hit Texas as well, causing $12 billion in damages. It's often referred to as the "forgotten storm" of the horrific 2005 season.

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

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 Camille formed in the Gulf of Mexico and hit Mississippi as a Category 5 storm. Camille caused more than 256 deaths and is considered one of the most intense hurricane to hit the US based on its pressure, which was measured at 900 millibars. (The more intense a hurricane is, the lower its pressure.)

About 25 years ago, the Category 5 Hurricane Andrew ripped through Florida with 175-mph winds, leaving millions without power and many neighborhoods completely destroyed. The response was so problematic that it led to major changes within the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to USA Today.

Hurricane Katrina made landfall as a Category 5 with winds up to 175 mph near Miami, before striking Louisiana as a Category 3 storm. Katrina was the third deadliest hurricane in US history, with more than 1,200 deaths. It caused $108 billion in damage, making it costliest hurricane the country has ever seen.