Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | October 4,2017 |
Extratropical | October 9,2017 |
Dissipated | October 11,2017 |
Category 1 hurricane | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Highest winds | 90 mph (150 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 981 mbar (hPa);28.97 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 48 |
Damage | $787 million (2017 USD) |
Areas affected | Jamaica,Costa Rica,Central America,Cayman Islands,Cuba,Mexico,East Coast of the United States,Atlantic Canada,St Pierre and Miquelon |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season |
Hurricane Nate was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone which was the costliest natural disaster in Costa Rican history. An unusually fast-moving tropical cyclone,it caused severe flooding in Central America,leading to widespread destruction and casualties,during early October 2017,before making landfall on the US Gulf Coast. The fourteenth named storm and ninth hurricane of the extremely active 2017 Atlantic hurricane season,Nate originated from a broad area of low pressure over the southwestern Caribbean on October 3. The disturbance moved northwest,organizing into a tropical depression the next day and attaining tropical storm intensity early on October 5. The storm made landfall in Nicaragua that same day and continued into Honduras with little change in strength. Nate began steady intensification over the warm waters of the northwestern Caribbean Sea shortly thereafter. It attained hurricane strength while moving through the Yucatán Channel early on October 7,attaining peak winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) in the central Gulf of Mexico later that day. Early on the next day,Nate made landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana. After crossing the marshland of the Mississippi Delta,it made its second U.S. landfall [1] near Biloxi,Mississippi early on October 8,causing a storm surge to flood the ground floors of coastal casinos and buildings,as well as causing rip currents,hurricane-force winds,and beach erosion.
Moving northwestward at 29 mph (47 km/h),Nate was the fastest-moving tropical system ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico. It is also the fourth Atlantic hurricane of 2017 to have made landfall in the United States or one of its territories;such a quartet of landfalls has not occurred since 2005. In addition,Nate was the first tropical cyclone to move ashore in the state of Mississippi since Hurricane Katrina. [2]
A total of 48 deaths were attributed to Nate:16 deaths were counted in Nicaragua,14 in Costa Rica,5 in Guatemala,7 in Panama,3 in Honduras,1 in El Salvador,and 2 in the United States.
An elongated surface trough of low pressure began interacting with an upper-level low across the northwestern Caribbean at the start of October, resulting in widespread cloudiness and scattered showers across the region. Despite unusually low surface pressures, strong upper-level winds were initially forecast to prevent significant organization. [3] During the afternoon hours of October 3, satellite imagery and surface observations indicated that a broad area of low pressure had formed over the extreme southwestern Caribbean. [4] The disturbance began to show signs of strengthening almost immediately; satellite images the next morning showed large curved bands of deep convection wrapping into the well-defined center, prompting the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to upgrade it to a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC on October 4, while located about 40 mi (64 km) south of San Andres Island. [5]
The newly formed cyclone traveled on a northwest course during its incipience, steered by a ridge over the southwestern Atlantic. [6] Later on October 4, the inner core convection blossomed, with a well-defined convective band on the eastern semicircle. [7] The presence of a partial eyewall on the San Andres radar, coupled with surface observations from Nicaragua, incentivized the NHC to upgrade the depression to Tropical Storm Nate at 06:00 UTC on October 5. [5] 6 hours later, the system had moved ashore just south of Puerto Cabezas. [8] [9] Combined with moderate southwesterly wind shear aloft, the storm's passage over the rugged terrains of Nicaragua and Honduras caused the cloud pattern to deteriorate, although its winds remained near tropical storm force. [10] This lapse in structure was temporary, however, as Nate redeveloped deep convection even before re-emerging over water; in fact, the cyclone exhibited some semblance of a convective ring on microwave imagery. Embedded within a larger cyclonic gyre across Central America, Nate maintained a northwesterly course across land, bringing the storm into the Gulf of Honduras during the early hours of October 6. [11]
Once over the warm waters of the northwestern Caribbean Sea, Nate began to strengthen slowly, despite its broad surface center and the disjointment of the maximum winds east from the center. A developing subtropical ridge over the western Atlantic turned the storm on a more north-northwest trajectory. [5] NOAA and Air Force reserve reconnaissance aircraft sampling the system throughout the evening of October 6 confirmed continued intensification; data around 02:30 UTC the next day, showing a developing eyewall, supported upgrading Nate to the season's ninth consecutive hurricane. [12] [5] Continued flow between the ridge over the western Atlantic and the Central American gyre propelled Nate into the Yucatán Channel and then the Gulf of Mexico on October 7; in fact, with a 12-hour averaged motion of 29 mph (47 km/h), Nate became the fastest-moving hurricane on record in the gulf. [5] Favorable environmental conditions allowed the strengthening to continue: Nate developed a symmetrical central dense overcast, featuring cloud tops cooler than −114 °F (−81 °C) and a sizable eye underneath, attaining peak winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) at 12:00 UTC. The hurricane reached a minimum barometric pressure of 981 mbar (hPa; 28.97 inHg) 6 hours later. [5]
Impinging vertical wind shear caused Nate's convection to rapidly warm and lose structure, despite the storm's attempts to form a more distinct eye. [13] Around 00:00 UTC on October 8, Nate made its second landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River with winds of 85 mph (137 km/h). [14] Deep convection migrated to the north and east of the center, and a curve toward the north brought the storm ashore for the final time near Biloxi, Mississippi at 05:30 UTC with winds of 75 mph (121 km/h). [5] Inland, Nate became embedded within the fast mid-latitude westerlies, causing the storm to accelerate north-northeast while weakening to a tropical storm 30 minutes later. [5] Surface observations indicated a rapidly weakening cyclone, prompting the NHC to downgrade Nate to a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC while it was located over southwestern Alabama; [5] further advisories were relegated to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC). [15] Nate continued to weaken, and degrading to a remnant low over Tennessee. A few hours later, the remnant low became an extratropical cyclone over the Ohio Valley. The extratropical cyclone moved northeastward into New England, then turned east-northeastward into Canadian Maritime on October 10. The extratropical remnant dissipated near Newfoundland on early October 11, as it degenerated into a trough rotating around another extratropical cyclone to its north. [5]
Country | Fatalities | Missing | Damage (2017 USD) | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Costa Rica | 14 | 0 | $562 million | [5] [16] [17] |
Cuba | 0 | 0 | — | |
El Salvador | 1 | 0 | — | [18] |
Guatemala | 5 | 3 | — | [19] |
Honduras | 3 | 3 | — | [20] |
Nicaragua | 16 | 1 | — | [ citation needed ] |
Panama | 7 | 0 | — | [20] [21] |
United States | 2 | 0 | $225 million | [22] |
Totals: | 48 | 7 | $787 million |
Coinciding with an unusually extreme rainy season as well as strong confluence of the Pacific and Atlantic trade winds, [23] [24] Nate and its precursor brought days of torrential rain to the already satured soils of Central America throughout the first week of October 2017. [23] [25] Emergency agencies and governments issued various weather alerts for their respective countries, with the Caribbean shores of Nicaragua and Honduras placed under a tropical storm warning when a strengthening Nate approached land. Schools and public offices were closed as storm shelters were prepared. In addition, Nate led to the cancellation of a FIFA World Cup qualification match between Costa Rica and Honduras scheduled for October 6 at Estadio Nacional in San José. [26]
Still battling the preceding flooding, the entire region once again faced life-threatening situations as Nate's rains triggered mudslides and filled already rising rivers and streams to critical levels by October 5. Floods and mudslides were widespread, with Costa Rica and Nicaragua enduring the worst and deadliest impacts. [25] [27] As of October 11, the deluge had left 43 dead and nine missing across Central America, as well as causing serious structural damage.
During its formative stages, the precursor disturbance interacted with the monsoon trough to produce widespread cloudiness over Panama in the first week of October. Flooding rains fell over much of the Talamanca and Central mountain ranges, including the west-central provinces of Chiriquí, Ngäbe-Buglé, Veraguas, Panamá Oeste, Bocas del Toro, and Coclé, as well as Colón and Guna Yala along the Atlantic coast. [28] On October 3, Panamanian officials issued an alert for heavy rain with strong gusts and urged residents on the riverbanks of Río de Jesús to evacuate. [29] In Ngäbe-Buglé, a landslide killed six people. [21] Squally rains downed trees, damaged roofs, and flooded homes throughout Veraguas and Chiriqui; [30] in the latter province, 150 homes in Puerto Armuelles were affected, [31] and two people required rescue from the cascading waters of a river in the San Lorenzo District. Trees fell onto roads and homes in Panamá Oeste, Panamá Este, San Miguelito and Herrera, causing light damage. [32] A few landslides impacted the roads in those regions, leaving some impassable and obstructing an important traffic junction in Viguí. [27] [30] Blustery conditions associated with Nate affected 4,975 people throughout Panama and damaged or destroyed 84 houses. [30] [33] One person died in a shipwreck in Panama Bay. [20]
The Caribbean shores of Nicaragua were placed under alert as the precursor disturbance thrived, interacting with surrounding low pressures to produce widespread rainfall as early as October 3. [34] [35] Upon Nate's formation, a tropical storm warning was issued for the coast. [36] Widespread flooding damaged or destroyed 5,953 homes, the vast majority in the Rivas Department, [27] directly affecting approximately 29,000 people. At least 16 people died throughout Nicaragua while 1 other person was reported missing as of October 8. [37] The term "Nate Effect" has been coined to describe a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean, that causes major damages on the Pacific side of the country. [38] [39] [40]
At the risk of flooding rains, Costa Rica's Central Valley, Pacific coast, and Huetar Norte region were placed under red alert for at least 3 days, starting on October 4, while a yellow alert was issued for the Caribbean coast. [41] The greatest quantities, reaching 19.19 inches (487 mm), fell in Maritima; [5] many other central Pacific locales, such as Quepos, recorded over 4.7 inches (120 mm) that day. In contrast, the capital of San José received no more than 1.4 inches (36 mm). [42] In the canton of Oreamuno, Cartago Province, a bridge and part of a riverside house succumbed to the forces of a river, swollen from the initial rains on October 3. [43] By October 5, the situation culminated: muddy waters surged through streets, neighborhoods, and even homes—some submerged to their roofs—as an increasing number of rivers burst their banks. [27] [44] About 800 residents living in risk zones had to be rescued, [44] including 200 in Palmar Norte when the overflowing Térraba River swept away houses and belongings. [45] The storm cut off drinking water to nearly 500,000 people, and left 18,500 without power. [27] Torrents, landslides, and fallen trees—particularly in the provinces of Cartago, Puntarenas, Guanacaste, Alajuela, and San José—claimed the lives of 14 people, [17] and forced 11,300 into 170 shelters across Costa Rica. [16] [46] The flooding was the worst to hit the country in recent years, leading to the "biggest crisis in Costa Rican history" according to President Luis Guillermo Solís.[ citation needed ] In response, Solís declared a state of emergency for the entire country on October 6, as well as a national day of mourning. [27] [47]
The country's infrastructure, especially the road networks in southern regions, sustained tremendous damage from expansive flooding, landslides and subsidence; 117 roads throughout all provinces but Limón were affected in some way or form, 40 of which were rendered impassable. [48] [49] Spanning 413 mi (665 km) through Costa Rica, the Inter-American Highway suffered various degrees of damage at 112 different sites, ranging from superficial cracks and potholes, to total structural failures. [48] At least 42 bridges collapsed, many waterways and drainage systems were overwhelmed, and a number of routes were practically "wiped out", isolating villages and leading to widespread disruptions in the transport sector. [27] [49] Many petrospheres at the World Heritage archaeological site of Palmar Sur were covered with up to 12 inches (30 cm) of mud. [50] The infrastructural costs across the country exceeded ₡10 billion (US$17.5 million), with repairs expected to take years. [51] With over 306,000 acres (124,000 hectares) of arable land damaged, the agricultural sector reported significant losses. Among the hardest hit crops were sugarcane, vegetables, grains, melons and papayas, especially in the Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Central Valley regions. [52] In Guanacaste, the storm converted pastures and sugarcane fields into ponds and washed out 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of rice. [53] Material damage from Nate across Costa Rica is estimated at ₡106 billion (US$185 million). [49] Total damage caused by the hurricane in Costa Rica was estimated at ₡309 billion (US$562 million), [5] making it the costliest natural disaster in Costa Rican history. [54]
At least three people were killed and three others were reported missing across Honduras, [20] including one in Tierra Blanca. [55] One person was also killed in El Salvador. [18]
Heavy rains and strong winds impacted portions of western Cuba, particularly Pinar del Río Province. Rainfall reached 4.04 in (102.7 mm) in San Juan y Martínez, bringing local reservoirs to near-capacity. Some flooding affected homes in the province, but overall damage was limited. Winds up to 56 mph (90 km/h) disrupted electrical service in Cabo San Antonio. [56]
The local officials in Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi declared states of emergency or also evacuation orders. [1] In preparation for Nate, officials in Grand Isle, Louisiana, declared a voluntary evacuation. [57] New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu met with local, state, and federal officials to discuss preparation measures as the city continued to experience critical deficiencies in its drainage system from two months prior. Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for 29 counties in the northern portion of the state. [58] Offshore, oil and gas companies began evacuating production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Six platforms had been cleared by midday on October 5, and a movable rig was moved out of the storm's path. [59] Aircraft of the Air Force Reserve Command's 403d Wing were evacuated from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, as a precautionary measure. [60] The military also prepared the amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima and transport dock New York to assist with search-and-rescue and recovery effort. [61]
Rain-slicked roads may have been a factor in a fatal accident along I-24 in Tennessee. [62] A firefighter was struck and killed by a car while cleaning up storm debris in Morganton, North Carolina. [63] Total damage reached $22.3 million, primarily in southwestern Alabama. [22]
On October 7, the National Weather Service stated that Hurricane Nate had broken the record for the fastest forward motion by a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, with a speed of 29 miles per hour (47 km/h). This top forward motion occurred during a 12-hour period on Saturday, October 7, as Nate sped northward towards the Gulf Coast. [64]
Because of the storm's significant impacts in Costa Rica, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Nate from its rotating lists of names in April 2018, and it will never again be used for another Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced with Nigel for the 2023 season. [65]
Hurricane Gert was a large tropical cyclone that caused extensive flooding and mudslides throughout Central America and Mexico in September 1993. The seventh named storm and third hurricane of the annual hurricane season, Gert originated as a tropical depression from a tropical wave over the southwestern Caribbean Sea on September 14. The next day, the cyclone briefly attained tropical storm strength before moving ashore in Nicaragua and proceeding through Honduras. It reorganized into a tropical storm over the Gulf of Honduras on September 17, but weakened back to a depression upon crossing the Yucatán Peninsula. Once over the warm waters of the Bay of Campeche, Gert quickly strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane by September 20. The hurricane made a final landfall on the Gulf Coast of Mexico near Tuxpan, Veracruz, with peak winds of 100 mph (160 km/h). The rugged terrain disrupted the cyclone's structure; Gert entered the Pacific Ocean as a depression near the state of Nayarit on September 21, where it briefly redeveloped a few strong thunderstorms before dissipating at sea five days later.
Tropical Storm Alma was the easternmost forming Pacific tropical cyclone on record. It formed within the monsoon trough just off the coast of Costa Rica on May 29. Initially forecast to remain a weak tropical storm, the cyclone rapidly strengthened and developed an eye, before making landfall on May 29 in Nicaragua, near León, with peak winds of 65 mph (105 km/h). Alma degenerated into a remnant low on May 30, before merging with another approaching tropical wave in the Gulf of Honduras shortly afterward, which became Tropical Storm Arthur on the next day. Alma was the first tropical storm on record to strike the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. In Costa Rica, heavy rainfall caused flooding and landslides, killing two and causing $35 million (USD) in damage. Three people were killed in Nicaragua, one from drowning and two others from electrocution. Five others died in Honduras from an aviation accident likely related to the storm and one other was swept away in floodwaters.
Hurricane Beta was a compact and intense tropical cyclone that impacted the southwestern Caribbean in late October 2005. Beta was the twenty-fourth tropical storm, fourteenth hurricane, and seventh and final major hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. On October 21, a developing tropical wave entered the eastern Caribbean Sea and spawned Tropical Storm Alpha the following day. As the wave entered the southwestern Caribbean, convection redeveloped and on October 26, the system spawned another low-pressure area which developed into Tropical Depression Twenty-six. The depression intensified into a tropical storm the next morning and was named Beta. By the morning of October 28, the storm intensified into a hurricane, the fourteenth of the season. Beta underwent rapid intensification for several hours to attain its peak intensity with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) on October 30. The storm began to deteriorate before landfall, weakening to Category 2 status as it crossed the Nicaraguan coastline. Rapid weakening followed landfall, and the storm dissipated early the next morning.
Hurricane Ida was the strongest landfalling tropical cyclone during the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, crossing the coastline of Nicaragua with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). The remnants of the storm became a powerful nor'easter that caused widespread damage along coastal areas of the Mid-Atlantic States. Ida formed on November 4 in the southwestern Caribbean, and within 24 hours struck the Nicaragua coast with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). It weakened significantly over land, although it restrengthened in the Yucatán Channel to peak winds of 105 mph (170 km/h). Hurricane Ida weakened and became an extratropical cyclone in the northern Gulf of Mexico, before spreading across the southeastern United States. The remnants of Ida contributed to the formation of a nor'easter that significantly affected the eastern coast of the United States.
Tropical Storm Norman was the fourteenth tropical cyclone of the 2012 Pacific hurricane season that brought minor flooding to western Mexico and record rainfall to areas of Texas in September 2012. Originating from a disturbance near the southern tip of Baja California, it soon moved north and developed into a tropical cyclone on September 28. Upon developing into one, Norman attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). Heading northward into the Gulf of California, the storm began to weaken later that day due to southwesterly wind shear and land interaction. Norman curved northwestward and weakened to a tropical depression early on September 29. Around that time, it briefly moved inland near Topolobampo, Sinaloa, before re-emerging into the Gulf of California. Later on September 29, Norman degenerated into a remnant low pressure area.
The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was a devastating and extremely active Atlantic hurricane season that became the costliest on record, with a damage total of at least $294.92 billion (USD). The season featured 17 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and 6 major hurricanes. Most of the season's damage was due to hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Another notable hurricane, Nate, was the worst natural disaster in Costa Rican history. These four storm names were retired following the season due to the number of deaths and amount of damage they caused. Collectively, the tropical cyclones were responsible for at least 3,364 deaths. The season also had the highest accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) since 2005 with an approximate index of 224 units, with a record three hurricanes each generating an ACE of over 40: Irma, Jose, and Maria. This season featured two Category 5 hurricanes, and the only season other than 2007 with two hurricanes making landfall at that intensity. The season's ten hurricanes occurred one after the other, the greatest number of consecutive hurricanes in the satellite era, and tied for the highest number of consecutive hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic basin.
Tropical Storm Trudy was a short-lived tropical cyclone in October 2014 that caused significant flooding in southern Mexico. The storm originated from an area of low pressure associated with a monsoon trough near Central America in early October. A slow-moving system, the low eventually consolidated into a tropical depression on October 17 near the Mexican coastline. Favorable environmental conditions aided rapid development of Trudy. Within 15 hours of its designation, an eye formed over the storm's center. Trudy ultimately achieved its peak intensity as a strong tropical storm with 65 mph (100 km/h) winds as it made landfall just southeast of Marquelia, Mexico. The region's mountainous terrain quickly weakened Trudy and the cyclone dissipated early on October 19. Though the cyclone dissipated, its remnant energy later contributed to the formation of Tropical Storm Hanna in the Atlantic.
Hurricane Otto was a strong late-season tropical cyclone that impacted parts of Central America in November 2016. It was the first Atlantic hurricane since Cesar–Douglas in 1996 to survive the crossover from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Forming late on November 20 in the southwestern Caribbean Sea, Otto was the fifteenth and final named storm, seventh hurricane and fourth major hurricane of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. It quickly intensified into a strong tropical storm the next day, and on November 23–24, rapidly strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane, the first in the month of November since Hurricane Paloma in 2008, and the latest date an Atlantic hurricane attained such intensity on record. Otto made landfall in Nicaragua at peak intensity on November 24, thus becoming the latest hurricane to make landfall in the Atlantic basin since 1851 when records began. Traveling along the Nicaragua–Costa Rica border, the system rapidly weakened to a tropical storm before emerging over the eastern Pacific Ocean, becoming the final storm of the 2016 Pacific hurricane season as well. Hostile environmental conditions inhibited reorganization, and Otto subsequently degenerated into an elongated trough on November 26.
The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season was a destructive and deadly Atlantic hurricane season. Despite having an average number of named storms and below average amount of major hurricanes, it became the fourth-costliest Atlantic hurricane season on record, behind only 2005, 2024 and 2017 mostly due to Hurricane Ian. The season officially began on June 1, and ended on November 30. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most subtropical or tropical cyclogenesis occurs in the Atlantic Ocean. This year's first Atlantic named storm, Tropical Storm Alex, developed five days after the start of the season, making this the first season since 2014 not to have a pre-season named storm.
The 2021 Pacific hurricane season was a moderately active Pacific hurricane season, with above-average activity in terms of number of named storms, but below-average activity in terms of major hurricanes, as 19 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes formed in all. It also had a near-normal accumulated cyclone energy (ACE). The season officially began on May 15, 2021 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and on June 1, 2021, in the Central Pacific in the Northern Hemisphere. The season ended in both regions on November 30, 2021. These dates historically describe the period each year when most tropical cyclogenesis occurs in these regions of the Pacific and are adopted by convention. However, the formation of tropical cyclones is possible at any time of the year, as illustrated by the formation of Tropical Storm Andres on May 9, which was the earliest forming tropical storm on record in the Eastern Pacific. Conversely, 2021 was the second consecutive season in which no tropical cyclones formed in the Central Pacific.
Tropical Storm Amanda and Tropical Storm Cristobal were two related, consecutive tropical cyclones that affected Central America, southern Mexico, the Central United States, and Canada in late May and early June 2020. The first tropical cyclone formed in the East Pacific and was named Amanda. After crossing Central America, its remnants regenerated into a second one in the Gulf of Mexico and was named Cristobal. Amanda was the second tropical depression and the first named storm of the 2020 Pacific hurricane season, and Cristobal was the third named storm of the extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, and the earliest third named storm in the North Atlantic Ocean on record. Cristobal's regeneration date in the North Atlantic eclipsed the date set by Tropical Storm Colin in 2016, which formed on June 5. It was also the first Atlantic tropical storm formed in the month of June since Cindy in 2017, and the first June tropical cyclone to make landfall in Mexico since Danielle in 2016.
Hurricane Marco was the first of two tropical cyclones to threaten the Gulf Coast of the United States within a three-day period. The thirteenth named storm and third hurricane of the record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Marco developed from a fast-moving tropical wave west of the Windward Islands and south of Jamaica on August 20. The fast motion of the wave inhibited intensification initially, but as the wave slowed down and entered a more favorable environment, the system developed into a tropical depression, which in turn rapidly intensified into a strong tropical storm. Due to strong wind shear, Marco's intensification temporarily halted. However, after entering the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico on August 23, Marco briefly intensified into a hurricane, only to quickly weaken later that evening due to another rapid increase in wind shear. Marco subsequently weakened to a tropical depression before degenerating into a remnant low early the next morning. Marco's remnants subsequently dissipated on August 26.
Tropical cyclones regularly affect the coastlines of most of Earth's major bodies of water along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Also known as hurricanes, typhoons, or other names, tropical cyclones have caused significant destruction and loss of human life, resulting in about 2 million deaths since the 19th century. Powerful cyclones that make landfall – moving from the ocean to over land – are some of the most impactful, although that is not always the case. An average of 86 tropical cyclones of tropical storm intensity form annually worldwide, with 47 reaching hurricane/typhoon strength, and 20 becoming intense tropical cyclones, super typhoons, or major hurricanes.
Hurricane Eta was a deadly and erratic tropical cyclone that devastated parts of Central America in early November 2020. The record-tying twenty-eighth named storm, thirteenth hurricane, and sixth major hurricane of the extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Eta originated from a vigorous tropical wave in the eastern Caribbean Sea on October 31. The system rapidly organized as it progressed west, with the cyclone ultimately becoming a Category 4 hurricane on November 3. With a peak intensity of 150 mph (240 km/h) and 922 millibars, it was the third most intense November Atlantic hurricane on record, behind the 1932 Cuba hurricane and Hurricane Iota, the latter of which formed just two weeks later in the same area. Some weakening took place as the system made landfall near Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, late that same day. Eta rapidly weakened to a tropical depression and briefly degenerated to a remnant low as it meandered across Central America for two days, before regenerating into a tropical depression and moving north over water. The storm later reorganized over the Caribbean as it accelerated toward Cuba on November 7, making a second landfall on the next day. Over the next five days, the system moved erratically, making a third landfall in the Florida Keys, on November 9, before slowing down and making a counterclockwise loop in the southern Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Cuba, with the storm's intensity fluctuating along the way. After briefly regaining hurricane strength on November 11, the system weakened back to a tropical storm once more, before making a fourth landfall on Florida on the next day, and proceeding to accelerate northeastward. Eta subsequently became extratropical on November 13, before dissipating off the coast of the Eastern United States on the next day.
Hurricane Bonnie was a strong tropical cyclone that survived the crossover from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, the first to do so since Hurricane Otto in 2016. The second named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, it originated from a strong tropical wave that moved off the west coast of Africa on June 23. Moving with little development despite favorable conditions, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) started advisories on it as Potential Tropical Cyclone Two late on June 27, due to its imminent threat to land. The disturbance finally organized into Tropical Storm Bonnie at 13:15 UTC on July 1, and made brief landfalls on the Costa Rica–Nicaragua border with winds of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). It later became the fourth named storm, third hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2022 Pacific hurricane season after crossing Nicaragua and Costa Rica from east to west on July 2 and intensifying to a Category 3 hurricane on July 5. Bonnie rapidly weakened, dissipating over the North Pacific.
Hurricane Julia was a deadly tropical cyclone that caused significant impacts in Central America as a Category 1 hurricane in October 2022. The tenth named storm and fifth hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, Julia formed from a tropical wave over the southern Caribbean Sea on October 7, just off the coast of South America. Only one storm on record, Tropical Storm Bret in 1993, has tracked further south over South America.
Hurricane Rafael was the strongest November tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico on record, tied with 1985's Hurricane Kate. The seventeenth named storm, eleventh hurricane, and fifth major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Rafael formed on November 4, 2024 from an area of low-pressure spawned by a Central American gyre. Steady organization occurred throughout the next two days, with Rafael becoming a hurricane early on November 6, as it moved northwest towards Cuba. Favorable conditions enabled the cyclone to rapidly intensify, becoming a Category 3 major hurricane later that day before making landfall in Cuba. Then, after weakening some while over land, it entered the Gulf of Mexico and re-intensified to a major hurricane once again at peak intensity early on November 8. Hostile conditions, including wind shear and cooler sea-surface temperatures, caused the hurricane to rapidly weaken afterwards, falling below hurricane intensity later that day, eventually degenerating into a remnant low on November 10. The circulation opened up into a trough the next day.
Tropical Storm Sara was a slow-moving tropical cyclone that caused severe flooding in northern Central America in November 2024. The eighteenth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Sara developed from a disturbance over the central Caribbean Sea associated with a tropical wave. It consolidated into a tropical depression early on November 14, and strengthened into Tropical Storm Sara later that same day. The next day, the storm grazed and slowly moved parallel to the northern coast of Honduras. Later, on the morning of November 17, Sara made landfall near Dangriga, Belize. Inland, the storm weakened into a tropical depression, then degenerated into a remnant low while over Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. AON has placed preliminary damage estimates in the millions of dollars.