Storm history › Atlantic › 1988 season
Hurricane Joan / Miriam (1988)
Joan / Miriam was a Category 4 hurricane of the 1988 Atlantic season. It was tracked from October 10, 1988 to November 2, 1988, about 23 days, and covered 5,433 miles.
At its peak it had winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 932 mb.
It made 3 landfalls, the first near Saint George's, Grenada.
Its closest pass to a major city was 1 miles from Managua, Nicaragua.
- Peak wind
- 145 mph
- Lowest pressure
- 932 mb
- Strongest
- Category 4 hurricane
- Landfalls
- 3
- Duration
- 23 days
- Track length
- 5,433 mi
- Energy (ACE)
- 26.3
DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5
Landfalls
| # | Date (UTC) | Near | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 15, 1988 | Saint George's, Grenada | 50 mph (85 km/h) |
| 2 | October 17, 1988 | Santa Cruz de los Taques, Venezuela | 65 mph (100 km/h) |
| 3 | October 22, 1988 | Bluefields, Nicaragua | 145 mph (230 km/h) |
Closest pass to major cities
| City | Closest pass |
|---|---|
| Managua, Nicaragua | 1 mi (1 km) |
| Santa Marta, Colombia | 37 mi (60 km) |
| San Salvador, El Salvador | 46 mi (73 km) |
| Barranquilla, Colombia | 52 mi (83 km) |
| Villa Nueva, Guatemala | 68 mi (109 km) |
| Mixco, Guatemala | 74 mi (118 km) |
| Guatemala City, Guatemala | 76 mi (123 km) |
How it compares
- Peak winds: 85th highest of 2,017 Atlantic storms on record, tied with Hurricane Gonzalo (2014), Hurricane Earl (2010), Hurricane Ike (2008) and 15 more.
- Lowest pressure: 71st lowest of 1,294 Atlantic storms with a recorded pressure, tied with Hurricane Beryl (2024), Hurricane Martin (2022).
- Energy: 25% of the 1988 Atlantic season's ACE.