 Hurricane Iris of 2001 was the most destructive hurricane in Belize since Hurricane Hattie in 1961 . Iris was the second @-@ strongest storm of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season , behind Hurricane Michelle . It was the ninth named storm , fifth hurricane , and third major hurricane of the year , forming from a tropical wave on October 4 just southeast of the Cape Verde Islands . The storm gradually intensified and became a Category 5 hurricane on October 10 , but soon weakened . On October 14 , Iris made landfall in Belize as a Category 1 hurricane . It caused extensive damage to the country , including 