Hurricane Erin, which peaked as a major Category 5 hurricane with 160-mph winds north of Anguilla on Aug. 16, is now in the rearview. The huge storm was over 500 miles wide and brought colossal surf with waves up to 45 feet offshore, coastal flooding from Puerto Rico to the Outer Banks and cloud cover from Raleigh to Boston.

The storm's track is a stark reminder of how a few miles can change everything. Hurricane Erin was the second-largest storm to approach the United States since 1964 after Sandy. Erin serves as a good example of how powerful storms that don’t hit land can generate dangerous surf and flooding — especially when they quickly gain strength over warm ocean waters.

Beyond Erin, here are a few of the most powerful near misses on record.

Ernesto (2024)

The fifth-named s

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