2018 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season was a near-normal season but above-average in terms of Accumulated Cyclone Energy. There were 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes in which tropical cyclones were formed in the Northern Hemisphere at the Atlantic basin. [1]They caused a total of over $50 billion (2018 USD) in damages and at least 172 deaths. The hurricane season officially started on June 1, and officially ended on November 30.
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| Season summary map | |
| First storm formed | May 25, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Last storm dissipated | October 31, 2018 |
| Strongest storm | Michael – 919 mbar (hPa) (27.15 inHg), 160 mph (260 km/h) |
| Total depressions | 16 |
| Total storms | 15 |
| Hurricanes | 8 |
| Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) | 2 |
| Total fatalities | 173 total |
| Total damage | $50.205 billion (2018 USD) |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 | |
Subtropical Storm Alberto in late May was the first storm of the season that formed on May 25. This was the fourth consecutive season in which storms formed before the official start of the hurricane season. Beryl became the first hurricane of the season in early July. Florence became the first major hurricane of the season on September 5. Michael became the second major hurricane of the season on October 9, and a day later, it became the third-most intense hurricane to make landfall in the United States in terms of pressure, behind the 1935 Labor Day hurricane and Hurricane Camille of 1969. As Michael became a Category 5, 2018 became a third consecutive season to feature at least one Category 5 hurricane (Matthew in 2016; Irma and Maria in 2017). This season is the first on record to see seven storms that were subtropical at some point in their lifetimes (Alberto, Beryl, Debby, Ernesto, Joyce, Leslie, and Oscar). The season ended with Hurricane Oscar on October 31.
Timeline
Storm names
The following list of names were to be used for naming storms that will be formed in the North Atlantic in 2018. Any retired names will be announced by the World Meteorological Organization in the spring of 2019. The names not retired from this list will be used again in the 2024 season. This is the same list used in the 2012 season, with the exception of the name Sara which replaced Sandy.
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Retirement
The storm names Florence and Michael were retired by the World Meteorological Organization on March 20, 2019, and they will not be used again for another Atlantic hurricane. They will be replaced with Francine and Milton for the 2024 season, respectively.
References
- ↑ "North Atlantic Ocean Historical Tropical Cyclone Statistics". Colorado State University. 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.