<Li> commons: Category: Hurricane Ivan </Li> <P> Hurricane Ivan was a large, long - lived, Cape Verde - type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States . The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season . Ivan formed in early September, and reached Category 5 strength on the Saffir - Simpson Hurricane Scale . </P> <P> Ivan caused catastrophic damage to Grenada as a strong Category 3 storm, heavy damage to Jamaica as a strong Category 4 storm and then Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands and the western tip of Cuba as a Category 5 storm . After peaking in strength, the hurricane moved north - northwest across the Gulf of Mexico to strike Pensacola / Milton, Florida and Alabama as a strong Category 3 storm, causing significant damage . Ivan dropped heavy rains on the Southeastern United States as it progressed northeast and east through the eastern United States, becoming an extratropical cyclone . The remnant low from the storm moved into the western subtropical Atlantic and regenerated into a tropical cyclone, which then moved across Florida and the Gulf of Mexico into Louisiana and Texas, causing minimal damage . Ivan caused an estimated US $18 billion (2004 USD, $22.8 billion 2017 USD) in damages to the United States, making it the seventh costliest hurricane ever to strike the country . </P> <P> On September 2, 2004, Tropical Depression Nine formed from a large tropical wave southwest of Cape Verde . As the system moved to the west, it strengthened gradually, becoming Tropical Storm Ivan on September 3 and reaching hurricane strength on September 5, 1,150 miles (1,850 km) to the east of Tobago . Later that day, the storm intensified rapidly, and by 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC), Ivan became a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 miles per hour (200 km / h). The National Hurricane Center said that the rapid strengthening of Ivan on September 5 was unprecedented at such a low latitude in the Atlantic basin . </P>

What category was ivan when it hit florida