The 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season was an above normal season with 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes.
Seasonal Forecast[]
Most experts predicted a near to above average season of 12-15 named storms, 6-8 hurricanes, and 3-5 major hurricanes.
Seasonal Summary[]
Preseason Storms: Alberto
June Storms: Beryl, Chris
July Storms: Debby, Ernesto
August Storms: Florence, Gordon, Helene
September Storms: Isaac, Joyce
October Storms: Kirk, Leslie, Michael
November Storms: Nadine
Storms[]
Tropical Storm Alberto[]
Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
Duration | May 30 – June 5 |
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Peak intensity | 65 mph (100 km/h) (1-min) 995 mbar (hPa) |
Tropical Depression One developed on May 30 in the Atlantic Ocean 350 miles to the northeast of Nassau, Bahamas. It became Tropical Storm Alberto on the evening of May 31. It strengthened into a storm of 65 mph sustained winds before making landfall near Virginia Beach, Virginia on June 3. It dissipated two days days later over the Appalachians of Pennsylvania and New York.
Tropical Storm Alberto caused 7 deaths and $175 million (USD) in damages, mostly in North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States due to flash flooding.
Tropical Storm Beryl[]
Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
Duration | June 22 – June 27 |
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Peak intensity | 65 mph (100 km/h) (1-min) 996 mbar (hPa) |
The second named storm of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season formed on June 22 from a tropical disturbance in the western Caribbean Sea. That disturbance then developed into a tropical depression and then a tropical storm. Beryl made landfall at its peak on June 24 on the border of Belize and Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. It weakened over land but slightly restrengthened over the Bay of Campeche before making a second landfall just to the north of Veracruz, Mexico two days later. Beryl dissipated over the Sierra Orientals on June 27.
The tropical storm caused $22 million (USD) in damage in its wake and killed one person in Mexico.
Hurricane Chris[]
Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | June 25 – June 30 |
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Peak intensity | 75 mph (120 km/h) (1-min) 988 mbar (hPa) |
Like Hurricane Ophelia (2005), Tropical Depression Three formed between Andros and Grand Bahama in the Bahamas on June 25 before developing into Tropical Storm Chris that same day. It moved up the coast of Florida before briefly becoming a hurricane late June 27- early June 28. Chris made landfall in Savannah, Georgia that morning as a category one hurricane with winds of 75 mph. Chris moved over land and became extratropical before dissipating near the Ohio River on June 30.
Hurricane Chris was responsible for claiming 8 lives and causing $170 million (USD) in damage, mostly in the Bahamas and the Southeastern United States.
Tropical Storm Debby[]
Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
Duration | July 7 – July 13 |
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Peak intensity | 60 mph (95 km/h) (1-min) 995 mbar (hPa) |
Tropical Depression Four was designated on July 7 from a low-pressure area to the north of the southeastern Bahamas. It slowly moved northwest-bound and became Tropical Storm Debby. Its lifespan was six days, slightly above average for a tropical storm. Before it could strengthen further, Debby met up the the Gulf Stream on July 10 and the jet stream picked up the storm and it moved over cooler waters in the Atlantic Ocean. Debby became extratropical on July 12 and dissipated the next day with minimal impact on land with the exception of its remnants bringing light rain to the British Isles.
Since Tropical Storm Debby had minimal contact with land, total damages from the storm were minimal. No deaths were reported.
Tropical Storm Ernesto[]
Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
Duration | July 13 – July 17 |
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Peak intensity | 50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min) 997 mbar (hPa) |
Ernesto was born on July 13 in the Caribbean Sea 200 miles north of Panama City, Panama as Tropical Depression Five. The next day, as it moved to the west-northwest, the tropical storm developed and was given the name Ernesto. On July 15, near peak intensity, the storm made landfall in northern Nicaragua, triggering isolated flash floods and mudslides. Ernesto became extratropical as it moved over mountainous terrain and dissipated July 17 in the Pacific Ocean before it had the chance to re-develop as a tropical system in the Eastern Pacific Basin.
Fourteen people people died in Central America from the storm (mostly in Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador) and 9 more were reported missing, causing $125 million (USD) in damages.
Hurricane Florence[]
Category 4 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | August 3 – August 15 |
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Peak intensity | 150 mph (240 km/h) (1-min) 938 mbar (hPa) |
Hurricane Florence formed on August 3 off the Cape Verde Islands and dissipated on August 15 in the North-Central Atlantic while never impacting land due to being a "fish storm" over the Atlantic Ocean. Its intensity peaked on August 10 as a strong Category 4 Hurricane several hundred miles to the east of the island of Bermuda.
During its lifespan, Florence caused zero deaths and zero damages as a result of not being a threat to land.
Tropical Storm Gordon[]
Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
Duration | August 13 – August 18 |
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Peak intensity | 45 mph (75 km/h) (1-min) 1005 mbar (hPa) |
Tropical Depression Seven formed near the Cape Verde Islands almost immediately after moving off the coast of Africa. Its lifespan was almost exactly identical to Tropical Storm Debby (2006) except Gordon was never forecast to became a hurricane . The storm fizzled into an extratropical system on August 17 and dissipated entirely the next day in the western Atlantic due to strong wind shear as it continued moving northwest.
Damage from Tropical Storm Gordon was minimal although one direct death happened from the storm in the Cape Verde Islands.
Hurricane Helene[]
Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | August 26 – September 1 |
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Peak intensity | 85 mph (140 km/h) (1-min) 980 mbar (hPa) |
What would become Helene formed on August 26 as a tropical depression between the Windward Islands and the Cape Verde Islands in the Central Atlantic Ocean. It became a tropical storm the next day before becoming a hurricane on August 29. It peaked in terms of intensity in the early hours of August 30. In its path lay the Leeward Islands, The Virgin islands, and Puerto Rico. Helene hit the areas as a category 1 hurricane from late August 30 into early August 31. After passing through the region, Helene encountered wind shear and then the Gulf Stream, causing it to dissipate on September 1.
Hurricane Helene hit the Caribbean hard, causing 14 deaths in its path and caused $295 million (USD) in damages across the Caribbean.
The name Helene was retired in the spring of 2019 by the WMO and was replaced with Hallie for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Hurricane Isaac[]
Category 5 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | September 9 – September 18 |
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Peak intensity | 165 mph (270 km/h) (1-min) 925 mbar (hPa) |
The origins of Hurricane Isaac date back to September 9 when the disturbance it developed from grew into a tropical depression. The depression was named Isaac the next day when it became a tropical storm the next day and became a hurricane a day after that. The storm was upgraded to a Category 5 hurricane on September 13 and maintained this peak into the early hours of the following morning. At this time, Isaac was passing through the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba, and ravaged the Caribbean (mostly Jamaica, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands). Afterwards, the hurricane curved to the northeast, weakening slightly before making landfall in Largo, Florida as a category 4 storm on September 16 with winds of over 140 mph. It was the 14th anniversary Hurricane Ivan (2004) made landfall in Alabama Thirty foot storm surge struck Tampa and St. Petersburg via the Tampa Bay. It moved quickly across the Florida peninsula and exited the state just south of Jacksonville as a strong category 2 hurricane with wind speeds of 110 mph. It made landfall in South Carolina as a category 1 storm on September 17 before dissipating over the Appalachian Mountains the next day.
Isaac was the second costliest hurricane in the U.S. of all-time behind Katrina, with damages estimated at $90 billion (USD). Also, 215 deaths were associated with this hurricane across the Caribbean and the United States.
The name Isaac was retired in the spring of 2019 by the WMO and was replaced with Iago for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Hurricane Joyce[]
Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | September 23 – October 2 |
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Peak intensity | 100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min) 970 mbar (hPa) |
Hurricane Joyce began its life as Tropical Depression Ten on September 23 west of the Cape Verde Islands. After becoming Tropical Storm Joyce the next day, it developed into a hurricane on September 26. It dissipated on October 2 due to encountering cooler waters further north, with its extratropical remnants once again bringing rain to the British Isles.
No deaths caused by Hurricane were reported and damage was nonexistent until its extratropical phase where minimal damage across the British Isles occurred.
Hurricane Kirk[]
Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | October 8 – October 13 |
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Peak intensity | 90 mph (150 km/h) (1-min) 980 mbar (hPa) |
Kirk was a "fish storm" in the form of a category 1 hurricane at its peak. It formed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean from a tropical wave traveling off the African coast. Becoming a tropical depression on October 8, it was upgraded to a tropical storm the following day and given the name Kirk. It became a hurricane on October 10, peaking in intensity on October 11. Encountering cold waters further north, Kirk fizzled out over the next couple of days before dissipating entirely.
No deaths were reported and no damage was reported either as land was never effected by Hurricane Kirk.
Hurricane Leslie[]
Category 3 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
Duration | October 17 – October 22 |
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Peak intensity | 125 mph (205 km/h) (1-min) 930 mbar (hPa) |
Hurricane Leslie was spawned from a tropical wave in the central Caribbean Sea. Convection developed around the system of low pressure in mid-October and allowed it to transform into Tropical Depression Twelve on October 17 near the southeast tip of Jamaica. Rapid intensification occurred in the next 24 hours as it became a hurricane and then a major hurricane in the following 24 hours. Making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula near Merida, Mexico as a category 3 hurricane on October 20, it weakened over land before briefly re-emerging over the Bay of Campeche. Leslie made a second and final landfall near southern Mexico as a Category 1 Hurricane and dissipated over the mountains on October 22.
Hurricane Leslie caused $750 million (USD) in damages in Jamaica, Mexico, Belize, and Honduras, killing 72 people in its path.
The name Leslie was retired in the spring of 2019 by the WMO and was replaced by Lorenza for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Tropical Storm Michael[]
Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
Duration | October 24 – October 27 |
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Peak intensity | 50 mph (85 km/h) (1-min) 1001 mbar (hPa) |
Tropical Storm Michael was born in the Atlantic Ocean on October 24 as Tropical Depression Thirteen. It soon became a tropical storm and designated with the name Michael. The storm roamed to the northeast in the Atlantic Ocean before becoming extratropical and dissipating on October 27, it remnants bringing rain to the Iberian Peninsula.
No fatalities were reported and overall damage was minimal.
Tropical Storm Nadine[]
Tropical storm (SSHWS) | |
Duration | November 10 – November 15 |
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Peak intensity | 55 mph (90 km/h) (1-min) 999 mbar (hPa) |
The fourteenth and final named storm of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season formed on November 10 in the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba. After assuming the name of Tropical Storm Nadine, it moved into the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall in the Florida panhandle as a weak tropical storm on November 13. It exited into the Atlantic Ocean on the Georgia-South Carolina border as a tropical depression the next day and became extratropical and dissipated after converging with the Gulf Stream.
Nadine caused $630 million (USD) in damages in Cuba, Mexico, and the southeastern United States and was directly responsible for claiming 20 lives.
In spite of the high death toll and sizable damage, the name Nadine was not retired in the spring of 2019 by the WMO, and will remain on the list for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Storm Names[]
The following names were used to name tropical cyclones this year. This is the same list used in the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season with the exception of Sara which replaced Sandy after its retirement in the spring of 2013.
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Retirement[]
Due to the extensive death and destruction caused, the WMO retired the names Helene, Isaac, and Leslie and they will never be used again for naming Atlantic Hurricanes. They were respectively replaced with Hallie, Iago, and Lorenza for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Names for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season:
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