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The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season is the only tropical cyclone season on record to feature all Category 5 hurricanes. With all fourteen named storms having winds of at least 160 miles per hour, it is the only hurricane season anywhere globally to have all storms become hurricanes, all hurricanes become major hurricanes, and all major hurricanes to peak as a Category 5, the highest categorization for tropical cyclones according to the Saffir-simpson scale. The official dates that conventionally delimit tropical cyclone formation in the North Atlantic are June 1 to November 30. However, the first storm, Alex, did not develop until nearly a month in. The season produced the top four most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record, among these was Hurricane Hermine - the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded.
Impact during the season was widespread and calamitous, as every storm impacted land to some degree. Ten of the fourteen storms made landfall as a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher according to the Saffir-simpson scale). Of these, six made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane - making this year the only in history to have such a significant amount of landfalling hurricanes at that intensity. 2016 was also the first year to feature a Category 5 in the Atlantic since 2007, the first year to feature a landfalling Category 5 since 2007, and the first to feature a landfalling Category 5 in the United States since 1992. The United States was struck on five occasions - twice by a Category 5, and at least three more by a major hurricane. In addition, Cuba was struck on two separate occasions - once by a major, and still another as a minimal hurricane. Bermuda was also struck once by a major hurricane - the first Category 5 hurricane landfall in the island nation in recorded history. Many other municipalities and countries throughout the Atlantic basin were struck multiple times. The season's cumulative death and damage total made it the costliest and deadliest Atlantic hurricane season on record.
The season remained largely dormant for the first month, until tropical cyclogenesis began for the first time that year with Hurricane Alex in early July. Spawned by a Cape Verde tropical wave, Alex slowly churned across the central tropical Atlantic as it gradually intensified. On July 14, Alex attained winds of 160 miles per hour, making it the earliest recorded Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic and the first in the basin since Felix of 2007. In addition, Alex shattered Hurricane Emily's record for strongest Atlantic hurricane to form before August, and is the only Category 5 in the month alongside Emily and Bonnie, which would form later that month and break Alex's record for strongest pre-August hurricane. Alex devastated the Leeward Islands, particularly Antigua and Barbuda, as a strong Category 3 hurricane prior to attaining peak strength in the northeastern Caribbean - a region normally considered very unfavorable rapid intensification. Alex then curved northwest and caused total devastation across Hispaniola at peak strength. Severely affected by the mountainous terrain of the country, Alex weakened to a Category 3 and made landfall at this strength in south Florida. Weakening ensued further as Alex marched up the East Coast of the United States and made landfalls in four other states as a hurricane. The cyclone turned extratropical on July 19 near Nova Scotia while still retaining hurricane-force winds. The season went inactive for another week prior to the formation of Hurricane Bonnie on July 26. On the final day of July, Bonnie attained its peak intensity while over the Bahamas as a compact Category 5 major hurricane, shattering Alex's record for strongest pre-August tropical cyclone. The storm then struck Miami, Florida with maximum wind speeds of 175 miles per hour - the strongest hurricane landfall in the United States and Florida since 1992's Hurricane Andrew, and the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Andrew. Despite being a very compact cyclone, with Category 5 winds spreading over a five-mile radius, the storm wrought extensive destruction throughout southern Florida. Bonnie blew apart thousands of homes and deformed many high-rises throughout Miami. Trees were left as debarked stubs, while over ten million customers lost power - the largest and most widespread hurricaned-induced blackout in the state's history. Barely weakening as it crossed the state, Bonnie emerged just north of the Dry Tortugas early the subsequent day while retaining winds of 160 miles per hour. Under the influence of the extremely warm Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico, Bonnie re-intensfied - hitting a peak intensity exactly the same as its initial. Bonnie then curved to the northwest and eventually followed a near-northernly path into New Orleans, Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. Despite the intensity of the storm, the compact eyewall limited the scope of damage to a very small area of downtown. Bonnie then weakened to a Category 1 as it crossed into Alabama. Tracking northeast up the eastern United States, Bonnie was the first tropical cyclone ever to reach Ohio whilst retaining tropical characteristics. Turning extratropical near Youngstown, Bonnie then curved eastward into Pennsylvania, dissipating shortly thereafter.
August[]
August began with the rapid intensification of Hurricane Bonnie over the Bahamas. However, tropical cyclogenesis began once again with a tropical wave near Cape Verde. This would give way to Hurricane Colin, the third Category 5 hurricane of the season. Intensifying very rapidly over the Atlantic Main Development Region (MDR), it was the first Category 5 hurricane within the region since 1989. Shortly before making a direct strike on the Leeward Islands as a Category 4 hurricane, a change in steering currents induced a directional change to the north. Colin underwent steady weakening as it approached North Carolina as a low-end Category 4 hurricane.
