1998 Atlantic hurricane season

The **1998 Atlantic hurricane season** was the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane season. It began on June 1, 1998, and it ended on November 30, 1998. However, one storm lasted until after the end of the season. This season had 14 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. Storms during the season caused more than 12,000 deaths. Most of these were caused by Hurricane Mitch.

### Tropical Storm Alex

On July 27, the first tropical depression started. By July 29, it became _Tropical Storm Alex_. Alex moved toward land but died on affect anywhere. Wind shear caused Alex to die on August 2.

### Hurricane Bonnie

Hurricane Bonnie started on August 19, as a tropical depression. It had become a tropical storm by the next day. Bonnie became a hurricane after passing to the north of Puerto Rico. By August 27 it had slammed into Wilmington, North Carolina, as a category 3 hurricane. Hurricane Bonnie went back out into the Atlantic and died on August 30. Bonnie killed about 5 people and caused $1 billion in damage.

### Hurricane Charley

Tropical Storm Charley started in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico on August 21. It became a strong tropical storm before it made landfall near Corpus Christi in Texas. Charley had died by August 24 over western Texas. It killed between 20-26 people and caused $50 million in damage.

### Hurricane Danielle

Hurricane Danielle started on August 24 as a tropical depression. By August 25 it was already a hurricane. It tracked across most of the Atlantic, switching between a category 1 and 2 hurricane for most of the time. Danielle headed for the United States, but missed as it turned north. The hurricane moved to the northeast and slowly weakened. On September 3, Danielle died. The remains continued until they were a few hundred miles north of Iceland on September 8.

### Hurricane Earl

Earl started in the southern Gulf of Mexico. It soon became a tropical storm and it became a hurricane about a day later. Hurricane Earl peak as a category 2 hurricane, but it weakened back to a category 1 as it made landfall in Panama City, Florida on September 3. It soon died after it crossed into Georgia. Earl killed 3 people and caused around $79 million in damage.

### Tropical Storm Frances

Frances formed in the Gulf of Mexico on September 8. It soon became a tropical storm before it made landfall in Texas on September 11. Tropical Storm Frances last for two more days over land. The storm killed 2 people and caused $500 million in damage.

### Hurricane Georges

Hurricane Georges was a very strong category 4 hurricane. Over its path it nearly became a category 5 hurricane on September 20. Notably, the storm made landfall in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba. Georges made landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi on September 28. Hurricane Georges died on October 1 just before entering the Atlantic near the Florida and Georgia border. It also caused over 350,000 people to become homeless in Cuba, Haiti, and Dominican Republic. The hurricane caused almost $6 billion in damage and it killed 604 people.

### Tropical Storm Hermine

Hermine was a weak tropical storm that started on September 17 in the Gulf of Mexico. On September 20 it made landfall in Louisiana. It died that same day and it killed 2 people and caused only $85,000 in damage.

### Hurricane Ivan

Ivan started on September 19 near Cape Verde Islands. It strengthened into a tropical storm soon after and head to the north. On September 23 it became a hurricane, and it soon slowly turned east. It passed just north of the Azores as a hurricane on September 26. Hurricane Ivan died on September 27.

### Hurricane Jeanne

Jeanne started on September 21 near the coast of Africa. It became a tropical storm later that day and a hurricane soon after. Hurricane Jeanne began to turn to the east on September 25. On October 1 it crossed through the Azores before it died later that day. The remains of Jeanne reached Portugal on October 4.

### Hurricane Karl

Hurricane Karl was, at first, Tropical Depression Eleven which formed on September 23. It later became Tropical Storm Karl and then Hurricane Karl. Hurricane Karl was one of four hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean on September 26. Karl died on September 28 near Ireland.

### Hurricane Lisa

On October 5 Tropical Depression One formed, shortly after it became Tropical Storm Lisa. On October 9 Tropical Storm Lisa strengthened and became Hurricane Lisa. Hurricane Lisa became extratropical and dead out over the Atlantic that same day. At one point in time Hurricane Lisa moving speed was greater than 58 mph.

### Hurricane Mitch

Hurricane Mitch was a very powerful storm. Mitch was a category 5 but it made landfall as a category 1. However Mitch still devastated Central America, causing at least 9,000 deaths and at least $5 billion in damage.
<div style="clear: both"></div>

### Hurricane Nicole

Nicole formed late in the season in the eastern Atlantic. It was named on November 24, the storm moved west-southwest for several days, and wind shear caused it to weaken to a tropical depression on November 26. However, it strengthened again and was again called a tropical storm on November 27.

Nicole was heading northeast toward the Azores as a weak hurricane. The storm then turned back to the north and was weakened to an extratropical storm on December 1. Hurricane Nicole never  affected land and no damage was reported.
<div style="clear: both"></div>

## Storm names

Below is a full list of names that was being used in 1998. There were four storm names used for the first time they were named: Alex, Lisa, Mitch, and Nicole for the first time in 1998. Alex was used for the first time because it was a replacement for the name Andrew. Names not used are marked in .

### Retirement

After the season there were two names that were retired: Georges and Mitch. Since they were retired, they will never be used for an Atlantic storm again. In 2004 the names: Gaston and Matthew, were used instead.

## Infobox (hurricane season)

- **basin**: Atl
- **year**: 1998
- **image**: 1998 Atlantic hurricane season map.png
- **track**: 1998 Atlantic hurricane season map.png
- **first storm formed**: July 31, 1998
- **last storm dissipated**: December 1, 1998
- **strongest storm name**: Hurricane Mitch, Mitch
- **strongest storm pressure**: 905
- **strongest storm winds**: 180
- **total storms**: 14
- **total hurricanes**: 10
- **total intense**: 3
- **damages**: 12000
- **fatalities**: 12,000+
- **basin**: Atlantic hurricane
- **five seasons**: 1996 Atlantic hurricane season, 1996, 1997 Atlantic hurricane season, 1997, **1998**, 1999 Atlantic hurricane season, 1999, 2000 Atlantic hurricane season, 2000


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atlantic
- **image**: Alex 1998-07-31 0945Z.png
- **track**: Alex 1998 track.png
- **formed**: July 28
- **dissipated**: July 31
- **1-min winds**: 50
- **pressure**: 1012


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atlantic
- **image**: Bonnie 1998-08-23 1745Z.png
- **track**: Bonnie 1998  track.png
- **formed**: August 15
- **dissipated**: August 19
- **1-min winds**: 100
- **pressure**: 954


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atl
- **image**: Charley 1998-08-21 1800Z.png
- **track**: Charley 1998 track.png
- **formed**: August 21
- **dissipated**: August 24
- **1-min winds**: 60
- **pressure**: 997


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atlantic
- **image**: Danielle 1998-09-01 1815Z.png
- **track**: Danielle 1998 track.png
- **formed**: August 23
- **dissipated**: august 29
- **1-min winds**: 75
- **pressure**: 91020


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atl
- **image**: Hurricane Earl 02 sept 1998 2028Z.jpg
- **track**: Earl 1998 track.png
- **formed**: August 31
- **dissipated**: September 3
- **1-min winds**: 90
- **pressure**: 988


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atl
- **image**: TS Frances 10 sept 1998 2040Z.jpg
- **track**: Frances 1998 track.png
- **formed**: September 8
- **dissipated**: September 13
- **1-min winds**: 55
- **pressure**: 990


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atl
- **image**: Georges 1998-09-20 1847Z.jpg
- **track**: Georges 1998 track.png
- **formed**: September 15
- **dissipated**: October 1
- **1-min winds**: 135
- **pressure**: 937


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atl
- **image**: Tropical Storm Hermine 19 sept 1998 2041Z.jpg
- **track**: Hermine 1998 track.png
- **formed**: September 17
- **dissipated**: September 20
- **1-min winds**: 40
- **pressure**: 999


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atl
- **image**: Hurricane Ivan (1998).jpg
- **track**: Ivan 1998 track.png
- **formed**: September 19
- **dissipated**: September 27
- **1-min winds**: 80
- **pressure**: 975


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atl
- **image**: Hurricane Jeanne (1998).jpg
- **track**: Jeanne 1998 track.png
- **formed**: September 21
- **dissipated**: October 1
- **1-min winds**: 92.5
- **pressure**: 969


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atl
- **image**: Hurricane Karl (1998).JPG
- **track**: Karl 1998 track.png
- **formed**: September 23
- **dissipated**: September 28
- **1-min winds**: 92.5
- **pressure**: 970


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atl
- **image**: Lisa vis.gif
- **track**: Lisa 1998 track.png
- **formed**: October 5
- **dissipated**: October 9
- **1-min winds**: 65
- **pressure**: 995


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atl
- **image**: Mitch 1998-10-26 1845Z.png
- **track**: Mitch 1998 track.png
- **formed**: October 22
- **dissipated**: November 5
- **1-min winds**: 155
- **pressure**: 905


## Infobox (hurricane small)

- **basin**: Atl
- **image**: Hurricane Nicole 30 nov 1998 1719Z.jpg
- **track**: Nicole 1998 track.png
- **formed**: November 24
- **dissipated**: December 1
- **1-min winds**: 75
- **pressure**: 979