Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | September 11,2020 |
Extratropical | September 17,2020 |
Dissipated | September 18,2020 |
Category 2 hurricane | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
Highest winds | 110 mph (175 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 965 mbar (hPa);28.50 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 4 direct,5 indirect |
Damage | $7.3 billion (2020 USD) |
Areas affected | The Bahamas,Cuba,U.S. Gulf Coast,Southeastern United States |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season |
Hurricane Sally was a destructive and slow-moving Atlantic hurricane that was the first hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. state of Alabama since Ivan in 2004,coincidentally on the same date in the same place. The eighteenth named storm and seventh hurricane of the extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season,Sally developed from an area of disturbed weather which was first monitored over the Bahamas on September 10. The system grew a broad area of low-pressure on September 11,and was designated as a tropical depression late that day. Early the next day,the depression made landfall at Key Biscayne and subsequently strengthened into Tropical Storm Sally that afternoon. Moderate northwesterly shear prevented significant intensification for the first two days,but convection continued to grow towards the center and Sally slowly intensified. On September 14,a center reformation into the center of the convection occurred,and data from a hurricane hunter reconnaissance aircraft showed that Sally had rapidly intensified into a strong Category 1 hurricane. However,an increase in wind shear and upwelling of colder waters halted the intensification and Sally weakened slightly on September 15 before turning slowly northeastward. Despite this increase in wind shear,it unexpectedly re-intensified,reaching Category 2 status early on September 16 before making landfall at peak intensity at 09:45 UTC on September 16,near Gulf Shores,Alabama,with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (180 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 965 millibars (28.5 inHg). [1] [2] The storm rapidly weakened after landfall before transitioning into an extratropical low at 12:00 UTC the next day. Sally's remnants lasted for another day as they moved off the coast of the Southeastern United States before being absorbed into another extratropical storm on September 18.
Numerous watches and warnings were issued in anticipation of the imminent approach of Sally,and several coastline counties and parishes on the Gulf Coast were evacuated. In South Florida,heavy rain led to localized flash flooding while the rest of peninsula saw continuous shower and thunderstorm activity due to the asymmetric structure of Sally. The area between Mobile,Alabama,and Pensacola - Gulf Breeze,Florida took the brunt of the storm with widespread wind damage,storm surge flooding,and over 20 inches (510 mm) of rainfall in the first 24 hours and over 30 inches in 48 hours. [3] Numerous tornadoes also occurred as well. Damage is estimated at $7.3 billion (2020 USD). [4] Sally was the costliest of several destructive 2020 hurricanes whose names were not retired by the World Meteorological Organization following the season,along with:Isaias,Delta,and Zeta. [5] [6]
On September 4, a surface trough formed on the south and southwest side of then-Tropical Depression Omar near Bermuda. Omar would dissipate the next day and its remnants moved northeastward while the trough moved slowly south-southwestward over the Western Atlantic over the next several days, showing little to no signs of organization. At 00:00 UTC on September 10, the NHC began to monitor the area of disturbed weather as it was over the Bahamas for possible development. [7] Over the next two days, convection rapidly increased, became better organized, and formed a broad area of low-pressure on September 11. [8] At 18:00 UTC, the system had organized enough to be designated as Tropical Depression Nineteen. [1] Just after 06:00 UTC on September 12, the depression made landfall near Cutler Bay, Florida, with winds of 35 mph (56 km/h) and a pressure of 1,003 mbar (29.6 inHg). [1] The system maintained its strength as it moved west over Florida, but the NHC noted that a strong convective burst near the center of the cyclone had weakened considerably. [9] Despite this, the depression strengthened over land and became Tropical Storm Sally at 12:00 UTC that same day while over The Everglades, becoming the earliest 18th tropical or subtropical storm in an Atlantic hurricane season, surpassing the old mark of October 2, which was previously set by Hurricane Stan in 2005. As Sally moved offshore into the Gulf of Mexico at around 15:00 UTC and turned north-northwestward, it strengthened some more to 60 mph (97 km/h) before northwesterly shear from a nearby upper-level low halted its intensification and gave the system a sheared appearance. [10] As shear relaxed some and became westerly, a huge burst of convection and a center reformation caused Sally to rapidly intensify into a hurricane by 16:00 UTC on September 14 before reaching its initial peak intensity with winds of 85 mph (137 km/h) and a pressure of 986 mbar (29.1 inHg). [1] [11]
This increase in strength did not last long as six hours later, as another increase in wind shear and upwelling of colder waters caused by the storm's slow motion weakened Sally slightly early the next day. [1] Despite its weakening, Sally began to develop a ragged eye, as shown on radar imagery, although it was open on its southern side. [12] Sally continued to maintain its intensity as it slowed down tremendously and meandered first before turning northward, moving at only 2 mph (3.2 km/h), although its pressure continued to fall. [13] Unexpectedly, as Sally approached the coast, its eye quickly became better defined and it abruptly began to reintensify. [14] By 05:00 UTC on September 16, the storm had reached into a Category 2 hurricane and was still strengthening as its northern eyewall began to move ashore in Baldwin County, Alabama. [1] The storm then reached as a high-end Category 2 status at 08:00 UTC before reaching its peak intensity as it made its final landfall at around 09:45 UTC near Gulf Shores, Alabama, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (180 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 965 mbar (28.5 inHg). [1] [2] [15] Sally's eye quickly disappeared as the storm rapidly weakened while it moved slowly inland. It was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane at 13:00 UTC, and then to a tropical storm at 18:00 UTC. [1] [16] [17] Sally further weakened to a tropical depression at 03:00 UTC on September 17 before becoming an extratropical low at 12:00 UTC that day. [1] [18] [19] The low continued northeastward off the coast of the Carolinas, before losing its identity within a cold front around 12:00 UTC on September 18. [1] [20] [21]
Due to the possibility of the storm making landfall as a tropical storm, a tropical storm watch was issued for the coast of Southeastern Florida from south of Jupiter Inlet to north of Ocean Reef when advisories were first issued at 21:00 UTC on September 11. [22] At 03:00 UTC on September 12, another tropical storm watch was issued for the Florida panhandle from the Ochlockonee River to the Okaloosa/Walton County line. [23] That same day, numerous storm surge, tropical storm, and hurricane watches were then issued for a large portion of the US Gulf Coast east of New Orleans at 21:00 UTC, three hours after Sally was named. [24] [25] Many of these watches were then upgraded to warnings at 09:00 UTC on September 13 with more watches and warnings issued in the hours that followed. [26] [27] Several tornado, flash flood, and flood watches were issued. [28]
States of emergency were declared in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in preparation for Sally's arrival. [29] [30] [31] Emergencies were also declared in the East Baton Rouge and St. Bernard parishes in Louisiana and Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties in Florida as well as New Orleans and Pensacola, Florida. [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] The National Park Service shut down the entirety of Gulf Islands National Seashore on September 12. [37]
The mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, issued an evacuation for areas outside the levee system of the city, due to expected storm surge. [38] The governor of Louisiana declared a state of emergency for the entire state, which was still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Laura just three weeks earlier. [29] Several parishes and areas were put under mandatory evacuation orders including all of St. Charles Parish, and parts of Orleans Parish, Jefferson Parish, Plaquemines Parish, and St. John the Baptist Parish. [39] Shelters were opened while public school and university classes were cancelled throughout southeastern Louisiana for September 15. [40] FEMA declared that they will be bringing additional resources to Louisiana for the storm's aftermath and not diverting resources away from Hurricane Laura's relief efforts. [40] Lakeshore Drive along Lake Pontchartrain was closed before the storm as well. [28]
A state of emergency was declared on the night of Sunday, September 13, 2020. [41] Mississippi governor Tate Reeves urged residents to prepare for Sally, which he said could produce up to 20 inches (510 mm) of rain in the southern part of the state. Some shelters were opened, although officials urged people who were evacuating to stay with friends, relatives, or in hotels, if possible, because of the threat of coronavirus superspreading. [42] Mandatory evacuations were ordered for parts of Harrison County and Hancock County. [39] [40]
Alabama governor Kay Ivey closed all beaches on the coast and called for evacuations of low-lying and flood prone areas. [42] Additionally, Dauphin Island mayor Jeff Collier strongly encouraged all people to evacuate the west end after water started to encroach on the main roadway. [43] A state of emergency was declared by governor Kay Ivey on September 14, 2020, as public schools and university classes were either cancelled or moved online in anticipation of the storm. [44]
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On September 14 at 6:00pm, the Pensacola International Airport closed. [45]
Warm and humid southerly flow associated with the circulation of Sally brought scattered showers and thunderstorms to western and central areas of Cuba on September 12–13. [46]
The re-intensification and sudden track to the east by Sally prior to landfall caught many by surprise. Additionally, the storm's slow movement caused coastal areas between Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, to be in the northern eyewall for hours. Over 500,000 customers in Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia lost power and parts of I-10, including the Escambia Bay Bridge, were shut down. [47] Widespread tornado, special marine, severe thunderstorm, and flash flood warnings were issued, including several flash flood emergencies. [48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [53] [54] [55] Sally was the most destructive storm to strike the Alabama–Florida border region in nearly 20 years, which included Baldwin County in Alabama and Escambia County in Florida. [56]
Due to the asymmetrical structure of Sally, almost all of Florida saw continuous shower and thunderstorm activity starting on September 12. A low-topped supercell in the outer rainbands of Sally prompted a tornado warning east of Tampa near Sebring on September 12. [57] The next day, another storm prompted two tornado warnings in southwestern Lee County. [58] Several special marine warnings were also issued for the Florida coast due to possible waterspouts. [59] [60] An EF0 tornado south of Marianna damaged a shed and uprooted several trees on September 16. [61] [62] Sally caused heavy rainfall and moderate flooding in South Florida and the Florida Keys, with nearly 8.5 inches (220 mm) falling over Marathon, over 10 inches (250 mm) in Key West and peaking at 12 inches (300 mm) in Lower Matecumbe Key. [63] [64] Tropical storm-force gusts were reported in portions of the Miami metropolitan area. [65]
The Panhandle area east of where Sally made landfall suffered the brunt of the storm in Florida. In Escambia County, which includes Pensacola, the sheriff kept police deputies out helping residents "as long as physically possible". In Santa Rosa County, the City of Gulf Breeze was impacted with widespread wind damage, storm surge flooding, and over 20 inches (510 mm) of rainfall in the first 24 hours and over 30 inches in 48 hours. Several area tornadoes also occurred. Damage totals are estimated to be $7 million to Gulf Breeze public facilities. The unincorporated Tiger Point saw 36 inches (91 cm) of rain, while Bellview saw 30 inches (76 cm). In Pensacola itself, over 24 inches (61 cm) of rain fell and storm surge flooding reached 5.6 feet (1.7 m), the third highest surge ever recorded in the city. [28] Many streets were flooded and several parked cars were totaled when water got into their engines. Late on September 15, twenty-two barges in the Pensacola Bay broke loose due to heavy surf. Five of the barges washed up near downtown while the sixth was involved in another collision. The seventh lodged itself underneath the Garcon Point Bridge while the final one became lodged underneath the Pensacola Bay Bridge, located between cities of Pensacola and the Gulf Breeze causing the bridge to be temporarily closed. [66] [67] The next morning, a crane fell onto the same bridge, destroying a portion of the roadway. [68] The Florida Department of Transportation was unable to assess any possible damage to the bridge due to ongoing high [3] Water main breaks occurred inside the Gulf Breeze, causing the city to shut off water from the south side of Highway 98 inside city limits, where the majority of water main breaks occurred in order to isolate the leaks. [66] Water main break also occurred in nearby Pensacola Beach, causing officials to advise residents to fill their bathtubs with water. [69] The city of Panama City reported releases of raw sewage from several locations due to flooding from Hurricane Sally, prompting The Florida Department of Health to issue advises against swimming in Panama City until further notice. [70] In Pensacola, a 27-year-old boater went missing when he left his home in a 12-foot jon, in an attempt to find his mother's pontoon boat that became untethered in the strong currents and whipping winds brought on by the hurricane; one week after his disappearance, his body was found washed ashore near the Blue Angel Recreation Park. [71] Another person in Pensacola also died after succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning from indoor generator use. [72] The body of another missing boater, a 45-year-old female kayaker who had also gone missing at the height of the storm, was discovered, marking the third fatality of Pensacola and the state of Florida. [73] The Shoal River in Okaloosa county saw its highest level in 20 years as a result of all the rain that fell from Sally. This resulted in parts of Crestview, Florida being evacuated and bridges on I-10 and SR 85 being closed to all traffic. [74]
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Continuous onshore flow from Sally caused storm surge flooding to occur on Dauphin Island beginning early on September 14. [43] Two unoccupied riverboat casinos in Bayou La Batre near Mobile broke loose due to the constant wave action with one of them hitting a dock. [75] Fort Morgan, Alabama reported a wind gust of 121 miles per hour (195 km/h) while Mobile reported a wind gust of 83 miles per hour (134 km/h). Major structural damage was recorded at the landfall point in Gulf Shores as well as Mobile. A pier in Gulf Shores that was destroyed in Hurricane Ivan in 2004 was partially destroyed again by storm surge from Sally just days after it had reopened following renovations. There were also several reports of damage to condos in the Gulf Shores with a few being destroyed. [28] Meanwhile, in Downtown Mobile, a street light snapped, swinging wildly on its cable. [66] A gas station was destroyed in Spanish Fort, Alabama. [28] [69] [76] Several sewage overflows were reported across Mobile County following heavy rain from Hurricane Sally, causing contamination to Dog River and Rabbit Creek. [77] One person was declared dead and one other missing in Orange Beach, an area most impacted by flooding. [78] Another person died in Foley during the storm cleanup process. [79] Over 2,000 broken poles and 4,300 trees on power lines left over 71,000 households and businesses in southern and central Baldwin County without power, representing 95% of the service area of a local electrical cooperative, Baldwin EMC. Only 5 of 22 substations remained in service the day after the storm. [80] [81] Two days after landfall, on September 18, Alabama governor Kay Ivey said in a news conference that 103,000 customers were still without power in Baldwin County, and another 60,000 in Mobile County. [81] Five days after landfall, Baldwin EMC had restored power to close to 60,000 meters, representing 75% of their subscribers, but 18,197 meters remained without power. [82]
Total damages in Alabama reached $311.895 million (2020 USD). [83]
The winds from the outer bands of Sally caused the south side of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana to overflow its banks, flooding Lakeshore Drive. However, no serious damage was reported as the storm veered farther east than originally forecast. [28] Sally brought flooding to Mississippi, with the worst in Jackson County. At the peak of the storm, more than 10,000 people were without power along the Gulf Coast. Pascagoula police reported downed power lines and traffic lights in the city and a power outage on the eastern side of the city. [84] Some parts of South Mississippi also reported uprooted trees and downed signs. [85] Overall damage in Mississippi was expected to be much greater, but was reduced because the storm shifted east. [86] In Georgia, six tornadoes were confirmed, of which two were rated EF1 while the other four were rated EF0. One person was killed and two others were injured after a large oak tree fell onto two homes and several cars in Atlanta. [87] Two other fatalities occurred in metro Atlanta, one in Cobb County where a man died after a slick road caused a driver to lose control of his vehicle and hit the bus stop where the man was waiting at, and another in Gwinnett County where a 71-year-old woman was killed when a tree fell across the roadway, pinning her underneath it. [88] In North Carolina and South Carolina, 16 more tornadoes were also confirmed from September 17–18. Two of them were rated EF1 and two others were rated EFU, while all the others were rated EF0. [89] One person was injured indirectly as he was cleaning up debris from his mobile home following an EF0 tornado in Sardis, South Carolina. [90]
The storm caused widespread power outages across Baldwin County. Restoration of power took several days to bring back to 100%. [91] The cities of Gulf Shores and Foley suffered the most extensive damage in Baldwin County. [92] [93] Due the large amount of damage in the city, a curfew was imposed in Mobile, Alabama, starting on September 16. Immediately after the storm, the Cajun Navy, a nonprofit rescue organization, began surveying damage in Alabama. [66] The agricultural industry of Alabama, which was already under stress due to COVID-related impacts, suffered another devastating blow with many farmers' fields completely flooded, crops torn apart, and structures destroyed. Strong winds and heavy rainfall devastated crops, leaving many farmers across the state without hopes for a successful harvest. [94]
Tropical Storm Fay was an unusual tropical storm that moved erratically across the state of Florida and the Caribbean Sea. The sixth named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Fay formed from a vigorous tropical wave on August 15 over the Dominican Republic. It passed over the island of Hispaniola, into the Gulf of Gonâve, across the island of Cuba, and made landfall on the Florida Keys late in the afternoon of August 18 before veering into the Gulf of Mexico. It again made landfall near Naples, Florida, in the early hours of August 19 and progressed northeast through the Florida peninsula, emerging into the Atlantic Ocean near Melbourne on August 20. Extensive flooding took place in parts of Florida as a result of its slow movement. On August 21, it made landfall again near New Smyrna Beach, Florida, moving due west across the Panhandle, crossing Gainesville and Panama City, Florida. As it zigzagged from water to land, it became the first storm in recorded history to make landfall in Florida four times. Thirty-six deaths were blamed on Fay. The storm also resulted in one of the most prolific tropical cyclone related tornado outbreaks on record. A total of 81 tornadoes touched down across five states, three of which were rated as EF2. Fay would cause around $560 million in damages throughout its lifespan.
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record, in terms of number of systems. It featured a total of 31 tropical or subtropical cyclones, with all but one cyclone becoming a named storm. Of the 30 named storms, 14 developed into hurricanes, and a record-tying seven further intensified into major hurricanes. It was the second and final season to use the Greek letter storm naming system, the first being 2005, the previous record. Of the 30 named storms, 11 of them made landfall in the contiguous United States, breaking the record of nine set in 1916. During the season, 27 tropical storms established a new record for earliest formation date by storm number. This season also featured a record ten tropical cyclones that underwent rapid intensification, tying it with 1995, as well as tying the record for most Category 4 hurricanes in a singular season in the Atlantic Basin. This unprecedented activity was fueled by a La Niña that developed in the summer months of 2020, continuing a stretch of above-average seasonal activity that began in 2016. Despite the record-high activity, this was the first season since 2015 in which no Category 5 hurricanes formed.
Tropical Storm Gordon was a strong tropical storm that caused damage along the Gulf Coast of the United States in early September 2018. The seventh named storm of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, Gordon developed from a tropical wave that was first monitored in the Caribbean Sea on August 30. The wave moved west-northwestward toward the east coast of Florida while gradually organizing. The disturbance was marked as Potential Tropical Cyclone Seven on September 2 while near the Bahamas, and early the next day, it became Tropical Storm Gordon. The system made landfall on the southwest coast of Florida shortly afterwards. Steady intensification began after it moved off the coast of Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico. Gordon reached its peak intensity as a high-end tropical storm late on September 4 before making landfall just east of Pascagoula, Mississippi shortly afterwards. Gordon then rapidly weakened as it tracked inland, and degenerated into a remnant low on September 6. Gordon's remnants lingered over Arkansas for two days, before opening up into a low-pressure trough on September 8. At least three deaths were attributed to the storm, and Gordon caused approximately $200–250 million in damages.
This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2020. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Bangladesh, and eastern India, but can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. Tornadic events are often accompanied by other forms of severe weather, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail. There were 1,243 preliminary filtered reported tornadoes in 2020 in the United States in 2020, and 1,086 confirmed tornadoes in the United States in 2020. Worldwide, at least 93 tornado-related deaths were confirmed with 78 in the United States, eight in Vietnam, two each in Canada, Indonesia, and Mexico, and one in South Africa.
Hurricane Isaias was a destructive Category 1 hurricane that caused extensive damage across the Caribbean and the East Coast of the United States while also spawning the strongest tropical cyclone-spawned tornado since Hurricane Rita in 2005. The ninth named storm and second hurricane of the extremely active and record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Isaias originated from a vigorous tropical wave off the coast of Africa that was first identified by the National Hurricane Center on July 23. The tropical wave gradually became more organized and obtained gale-force winds on July 28 before organizing into Tropical Storm Isaias on July 30. Isaias marked the earliest ninth named storm on record, surpassing 2005's Hurricane Irene by eight days. Isaias strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on the next day, reaching an initial peak of 85 mph (140 km/h), with a minimum central pressure of 987 mbar. On August 1, the storm made landfall on North Andros, Bahamas and subsequently weakened to a tropical storm, before paralleling the east coast of Florida and Georgia. As Isaias approached the Carolina coastline, it reintensified back into a hurricane. Soon afterward, Isaias reached its peak intensity, with maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 986 millibars (29.1 inHg), before making landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, at 03:10 UTC on August 4, at the same intensity. The storm proceeded to accelerate up the East Coast of the United States as a strong tropical storm, before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone over Quebec on August 4. Isaias's extratropical remnants persisted for another day, before dissipating on August 5.
Hurricane Laura was a deadly and destructive Category 4 hurricane that is tied with the 1856 Last Island hurricane and 2021's Hurricane Ida as the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the U.S. state of Louisiana, as measured by maximum sustained winds. The twelfth named storm, fourth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Laura originated from a large tropical wave that moved off the West African coast on August 16 and became a tropical depression on August 20. Laura intensified into a tropical storm a day later, becoming the earliest twelfth named storm on record in the North Atlantic basin, forming eight days earlier than 1995's Hurricane Luis.
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.
Hurricane Laura tied the record for the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana as measured by maximum sustained winds, along with the 1856 Last Island hurricane and Hurricane Ida, and was overall the tenth-strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States. The thirteenth tropical cyclone, twelfth named storm, fourth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Laura originated from a large tropical wave that moved off the West African coast on August 16. The tropical wave gradually organized, becoming a tropical depression on August 20. Though in only a marginally conducive environment for intensification, the depression nevertheless intensified into a tropical storm a day later, becoming the earliest twelfth named storm on record in the North Atlantic basin, forming eight days earlier than 1995's Hurricane Luis. The depression received the name Laura and tracked west-northwest towards the Lesser Antilles.
Tropical Storm Beta was a tropical cyclone that brought heavy rainfall, flooding, and severe weather to the Southeastern United States in September 2020. The twenty-third tropical depression and twenty-third named storm of the record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Beta originally formed from a trough of low pressure that developed in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on September 10. The low moved slowly southwestward, with development hampered initially by the development of nearby Hurricane Sally. After Sally moved inland over the Southeastern United States and weakened, the disturbance became nearly stationary in the southwestern Gulf, where it began to organize. By September 16, the storm had gained a low-level circulation center and had enough organization to be designated as Tropical Depression Twenty-Two. The system held its intensity for a day due to the influence of strong wind shear and dry air, before eventually attaining tropical storm strength. It slowly moved northward and intensified to a mid-range tropical storm before dry air and wind shear halted its intensification. Beta then became nearly stationary on September 19, before starting to move west towards the Texas coast the next day, weakening as it approached. On September 21, Beta made landfall near Matagorda Peninsula, Texas as a minimal tropical storm. It subsequently weakened to a tropical depression the next day before becoming post-tropical early on September 23. Its remnants moved northeastward, before the center elongated and merged with a cold front early on September 25.
The effects of Hurricane Laura in Louisiana were extensive and historic. Laura was tied with the 1856 Last Island hurricane and Hurricane Ida as the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the U.S. state of Louisiana in terms of wind speed. It was the twelfth named storm, fourth hurricane, and first major hurricane of the extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. It made landfall on August 27, 2020 near Cameron, Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane. Within Louisiana, the storm killed 33 people and caused around $17.5 billion in damage. Laura brought extremely high winds that ripped roofs off houses and brought a storm surge of up to 18 feet (5.5 m) to areas in Cameron Parish.
Hurricane Gamma was a Category 1 hurricane that brought heavy rains, flooding, and landslides to the Yucatán Peninsula in early October 2020. The twenty-fifth depression, twenty-fourth named storm and ninth hurricane of the extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Gamma developed from a vigorous tropical wave that had been monitored as it was entering the Eastern Caribbean on September 29. The wave moved westward and slowed down as it moved into the Western Caribbean, where it began to interact with a dissipating cold front. A low formed within the disturbance on October 1 and the next day, it organized into a tropical depression. It further organized into Tropical Storm Gamma early the next day. It continued to intensify and made landfall as a minimal hurricane near Tulum, Mexico, on October 3. It weakened over land before reemerging in the Gulf of Mexico. Gamma then briefly restrengthened some before being blasted by high amounts of wind shear, causing it to weaken again. It made a second landfall as a tropical depression in Nichili, Mexico on October 6 before dissipating as it was absorbed by the approaching Hurricane Delta.
Hurricane Delta was the record-tying fourth named storm of 2020 to make landfall in Louisiana, as well as the record-breaking tenth named storm to strike the United States in that year. The twenty-sixth tropical cyclone, twenty-fifth named storm, tenth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Delta formed from a tropical wave which was first monitored by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) on October 1. Moving westward, the tropical wave began to quickly organize. A well-defined center of circulation formed with sufficiently organized deep convection on October 4, and was designated as Tropical Depression Twenty-six and soon thereafter, Tropical Storm Delta. Extremely rapid intensification ensued throughout October 5 into October 6, with Delta becoming a Category 4 hurricane within 28 hours of attaining tropical storm status. The rate of intensification was the fastest in the Atlantic basin since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. After peaking in intensity however, an unexpected increase in wind shear and dry air quickly weakened the small storm before it made landfall in Puerto Morelos, Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph (169 km/h) winds. It weakened some more over land before emerging into the Gulf of Mexico, where it was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane. After that, it began to restrengthen, regaining Category 3 status late on October 8. It then turned northward and reached a secondary peak intensity of 953 mbar (28.14 inHg) and winds of 120 mph early on October 9. Delta then began to turn more north-northeastward into an area of cooler waters, higher wind shear, and dry air, causing it to weaken back to Category 2 status. Delta then made landfall at 23:00 UTC near Creole, Louisiana with winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) and a pressure of 970 mbar (29 inHg). The storm began to weaken more rapidly after landfall, becoming post-tropical just 22 hours later.
Hurricane Zeta was a late-season major hurricane in 2020 that made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula and then in southeastern Louisiana, the latest on record to do so at such strength in the United States. Zeta was the record-tying sixth hurricane of the year to make landfall in the United States. The twenty-seventh named storm, twelfth hurricane and fifth major hurricane of the extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Zeta formed from a broad area of low pressure that formed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 19. After battling wind shear, the quasi-stationary low organized into Tropical Depression Twenty-Eight on October 24. The system strengthened into Tropical Storm Zeta early on October 25 before becoming a hurricane the next day as it began to move northwestward. Hurricane Zeta made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula late on October 26 and weakened while inland to a tropical storm, before moving off the northern coast of the peninsula on October 27. After weakening due to dry air entrainment, Zeta reorganized and became a hurricane again, and eventually a Category 2 hurricane, as it turned northeastward approaching the United States Gulf Coast on October 28. It continued to strengthen until it reached its peak intensity as a major Category 3 hurricane with 115-mile-per-hour (185 km/h) sustained winds and a minimum pressure of 970 mbar (28.64 inHg) as it made landfall at Cocodrie, Louisiana, that evening. Zeta continued on through Mississippi and parts of Alabama with hurricane-force winds. Zeta gradually weakened as it accelerated northeastward, and became post-tropical on October 29, as it moved through central Virginia, dissipating shortly afterwards off the coast of New Jersey. After bringing accumulating snow to parts of New England, the extratropical low-pressure system carrying Zeta's remnant energy impacted the United Kingdom on November 1 and 2.
Tropical Storm Claudette was a weak tropical cyclone that caused heavy rain and tornadoes across the Southeastern United States in June 2021, leading to severe damage. The third named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, Claudette originated from a broad trough of low pressure over the Bay of Campeche on June 12. The disturbance moved erratically over the region for the next several days, before proceeding northward with little development due to unfavorable upper-level winds and land interaction. Despite this, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) initiated advisories on it as a Potential Tropical Cyclone late on June 17, due to its imminent threat to land. The disturbance finally organized into Tropical Storm Claudette at 00:00 UTC on June 19 just before landfall in southeast Louisiana. Claudette weakened to a depression as it turned east-northeastward before moving through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Baroclinic forcing then caused Claudette to reintensify into a tropical storm over North Carolina early on June 21 before it accelerated into the Atlantic Ocean later that day. Soon afterward, it degenerated into a low-pressure trough on the same day, before being absorbed into another extratropical cyclone on the next day.
Tropical Storm Danny was a weak and short-lived tropical cyclone that caused minor damage to the U.S. states of South Carolina and Georgia. The fourth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, the system formed from an area of low-pressure that developed from an upper-level trough over the central Atlantic Ocean on June 22. Moving west-northwestward, the disturbance gradually developed as convection, or showers and thunderstorms, increased over it. Although it was moving over the warm Gulf Stream, the organization of the disturbance was hindered by strong upper-level wind shear. By 18:00 UTC of June 27, as satellite images showed a well-defined center and thunderstorms, the system was upgraded to a tropical depression by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). At 06:00 UTC on the next day, the system further strengthened into Tropical Storm Danny east-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. Danny continued its track towards South Carolina while slowly strengthening, subsequently reaching its peak intensity at that day of 45 mph (72 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 1,009 mbar (29.8 inHg) at 18:00 UTC. Danny then made landfall in Pritchards Island, north of Hilton Head, in a slightly weakened state at 23:20 UTC on the same day, with winds of 40 mph (64 km/h) and indicating that Danny weakened prior to moving inland. The system then weakened to a tropical depression over east-central Georgia, before dissipating shortly afterward.
Tropical Storm Fred was a strong tropical storm which affected much of the Greater Antilles and the Southeastern United States in August 2021. The sixth tropical storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, Fred originated from a tropical wave first noted by the National Hurricane Center on August 4. As the wave drifted westward, advisories were initiated on the wave as a potential tropical cyclone by August 9 as it was approaching the Leeward Islands. Entering the Eastern Caribbean Sea after a close pass to Dominica by the next day, the potential tropical cyclone continued northwestward. By August 11, the disturbance had formed into Tropical Storm Fred just south of Puerto Rico, shortly before hitting the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola later that day. The storm proceeded to weaken to a tropical depression over the highly mountainous island, before emerging north of the Windward Passage on August 12. The disorganized tropical depression turned to the west and made a second landfall in Northern Cuba on August 13. After having its circulation continuously disrupted by land interaction and wind shear, the storm degenerated into a tropical wave as it was turning northward near the western tip of Cuba the following day. Continuing north, the remnants of Fred quickly re-organized over the Gulf of Mexico, regenerating into a tropical storm by August 15. Fred continued towards the Florida Panhandle and swiftly intensified to a strong 65 mph (105 km/h) tropical storm before making landfall late on August 16 and moving into the state of Georgia. Afterward, Fred continued moving north-northeastward, before degenerating into an extratropical low on August 18. Fred's remnants later turned eastward, and the storm's remnants dissipated on August 20, near the coast of Massachusetts.
Hurricane Grace was the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Grace impacted much of the Leeward Islands and Greater Antilles as a tropical storm, before causing more substantial impacts in the Yucatán Peninsula and Veracruz as a hurricane. It was the seventh named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Originating from a tropical wave in the Main Development Region, the primitive system tracked west-northwest across the Atlantic Ocean towards the Antilles, becoming a tropical depression on August 14. It strengthened into Tropical Storm Grace later the same day, but weakened back to a depression due to an unfavorable environment. After moving near Haiti as a tropical depression, it strengthened back to a tropical storm and became a hurricane on August 18, reaching an initial peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a pressure of 986 mbar (29.12 inHg). It weakened back to a tropical storm after its landfall in the Yucatán Peninsula and emerged into the Bay of Campeche, entering a very favorable environment for intensification hours later. Grace then rapidly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph (190 km/h) in about 24 hours. The storm made its final landfall in the state of Veracruz at peak intensity and quickly degenerated into a remnant low over mainland Mexico on August 21; however, its remnants later regenerated into Tropical Storm Marty in the Eastern Pacific on August 23.
Hurricane Nicholas was a slow-moving and erratic Category 1 hurricane that made landfall in the U.S. state of Texas in mid-September 2021. The fourteenth named storm and sixth hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, Nicholas originated from a tropical wave that emerged off the west coast of Africa on August 28. The system developed into a tropical storm on September 12, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) naming the cyclone Nicholas. Nicholas gradually intensified initially, due to adverse effects of strong wind shear. However, late on September 13, Nicholas began intensifying at a faster rate, and at 03:00 UTC on September 14, Nicholas intensified into a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (121 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 988 mbar (29.2 inHg). At 5:30 UTC on the same day, Nicholas made landfall in Texas at peak intensity. Afterward, the system gradually weakened, weakening into a tropical storm several hours later, and weakening further into a tropical depression on the next day. The system proceeded to drift slowly over Louisiana. On September 15, Nicholas degenerated into a remnant low, before being absorbed into another extratropical system on September 20.
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