2018 Atlantic hurricane season (La Nina)

**2018 Atlantic hurricane season (La Nina)**
 **Total fatalities** | TBD

**Note: Still under construction**

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season was a hyperactive Atlantic season, forming 26 tropical depressions. The season shattered many records held by 2005 and 2017 for most active season, until 2032 and 2053 seasons passed it later. The season produced 26 depressions, 24 storms, 14 hurricanes, and 8 majors, 3 of the majors which reached Category 5 intensity.

Hurricane formation expected to be a average season, but with a Weak La Nina, hurricane formation was highly expectable.

## Systems

### Tropical Depression One

 Duration
 Peak intensity

A trough of low pressure was spotted emerging from the South African coast near the Cape Verde islands on 03:00 UTC by the National Hurricane Center. Thunderstorms and showers slowly degenerated into a tropical low while passing the Cape-Verde islands. As the low entered a frontal system and absorbed it, the low gradually intensified into a Invest, formation was expectable in the next 48 hours of formation. a 90% high chance of formation was expectable during the next 4 hours, as the storm is nearing Guiana and Brazil. During 48 hours, TD One formed. Warm waters helped One maintain its conditions as a 35 mph tropical depression before making its first landfall at the French Guiana - Brazil borderline and brung heavy rains. One merged with a huge frontal system on June 4 and dissipated later that day.

Scattered thunderstorms reached the northernmost area of Brazil on June 3rd and brought heavy rain and flash flooding across Brazil. The most impacted area of One was the border of Brazil and French Guiana, in which 5 inch raindrops fell on the borderline and border check in drives were cancelled due to One. 1 fatality was reported and the fatality was a female highschool Brazilian crossing the border to Guiana and was caught in flash flooding. Damage totals were estimated to $18.2 million dollars of damages.

### Hurricane Alberto

 Duration
 Peak intensity

A tropical low that was spotted by the National Hurricane Center on June 4 was monitored for possible tropical cyclogenesis in the next 48 hours after the low formed. The low entered the Main Development Region (MDR) and consolidated to a tropical depression quickly on June 5. Located within favorable wind shear and warm water temperature, the depression became better organized over the days and formed a counterclockwise motion, which concerned Hurricane Hunters flew into the storm and found a spot of 38 mph winds in the outer bands of 24 mph. This upgraded the depression into Tropical Storm Alberto on June 6.

A frontal system ahead of Alberto merged with Alberto, causing a point of rapid intensification and closed circulation of Alberto, causing a eyewall to appear in Alberto, which upgraded the tropical storm into a hurricane on June 7.

Alberto entered higher wind shear in the Caribbean Sea, which weakened Alberto into a tropical storm and underwent a eye wall replacement, which weakened the hurricane into a tropical storm with 65 mph winds. The outer bands battered Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic with rains and storm surge, which contributed to Alberto's rapid weakening. Alberto then weakened into a tropical depression on June 8, and later degenerated into a extratropical cyclone on the early mornings of June 9. The storm later dissipated in the afternoon of June 9. The remnants of Alberto later on merged with a frontal system in the East Pacific

Alberto didn't make a direct impact on the Caribbean islands, but made landfall on the Inner Antilles as a low end tropical storm with 50 mph winds. The outer bands of the hurricane battered Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic with 32 mph winds and 3 inch rainfall. No fatalities or any known damages were reported.

### Tropical Storm Beryl

 Duration
 Peak intensity

A tropical low was monitored for any tropical activity by the National Hurricane Center as the remnants of Alberto formed a tropical low. Possible tropical cyclogenesis was expected in the next 5 days. Due to wind shear from the Gulf of Mexico, formation was struggling and the low later became largely disorganized over the days. As the low entered more wind shear, the low became largely dissipated.

On June 12, wind shear gradually degenerated over the next 48 hours, which caused a warm front in the tropical low, which allowed the low to strengthen into a Invest with a 60% chance of formation in the next 5 days. The invest quickly gained strength, declared Tropical Depression Three on June 13.

Three quickly gained strength in 34 ℃, the highest temperatures recorded in the month of June. Closed circulation quickly formed a counterclockwise motion on June 15, during which Tropical Storm Watches were issued in the area of Belize and Guatemala on the same day. The storm entered abundant atmospheric moisture, which declared Three into Tropical Storm Beryl on June 16.

Beryl moved fast at 15 mph, making landfall as a 50 mph storm on Belize and rapidly started to weaken over land. On the morning of June 17, a large gyre disintegrated Beryl, which declared the dissipation of Beryl.

Moderate damages were reported during the wake of Tropical Storm Beryl, as flash flooding of 14 inches became a issue for the Belize government, and Belize president, Dean Oliver Barrow, sent reinforcements to the area to rebuild house damages. Tree's toppled over mobile homes and a estimated $73 million dollars of damages were caused.

### Hurricane Chris

 Duration
 Peak intensity

A tropical low formed after weeks of inactivity, was monitored by the NHC for any possible tropical formation in the Bay of Campeche. The low was largely disorganized from wind shear from northern Mexico drifting into waters of the Bay. The system drifted out of the Bay of Campeche and entered closed circulation, which rapidly intensified the low into a tropical disturbance forcasted to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area as a tropical storm on July 11.

The disturbance entered abundant atmospheric moisture and low vertical wind shear, which caused the disturbance to intensify into a potential tropical cyclone. The Potential Tropical Cyclone later formed into Tropical Depression Four on July 12.

Four was predicted by the National Hurricane Center for possible tropical cyclogenesis in the next 48 hours. A period for rapid intensification and closed circulation happened at July 5, which the tropical depression became a Category 1 hurricane on July 5 00:00 UTC and the name Chris was given to the hurricane.

A ragged eyewall became more clearer and see through before nearing Everglades City and Marco Island on July 7. Category 2 hurricane status was showing from the recorded data Hurricane Hunters found in the storm, which upgraded the hurricane into a Category 2 hurricane on July 8.

Outer bands of Hurricane Chris started to batter the Everglades City with 43 mph gusts and heavy rainfall 24 hours before the eyewall passes through the city. Hurricane Warnings were issued for the Everglades county. Chris finally made landfall at Everglades City and Marco Island on July 10 as the eyewall passed through the area, 110 mph winds battered the cities with storm surge and rainfall. Chris passed through the area as a low end Category 1 hurricane before becoming extratropical on July 11. A large thundercloud absorbed the extra tropical storm, fully dissipating on July 12.

Mobile trailers in Everglades City were completely toppled over and tree's blocked roads and big homes got their windows blown out. Despite causing all this damage, the damage totals were only $251 million dollars of damages and 5 fatalities were reported during Hurricane Chris.

### Hurricane Debby

 Duration
 Peak intensity

A disorganized tropical disturbance was spotted emerging from the coast of Western Sahara, Africa near a dissipated stationary front that formed the tropical disturbance. Deep convection was not execptable during the time of this storm, which gradually disorganized the disturbance. A low frontal system was absorbed by the outer bands of the disturbance, which left low wind shear in the disturbance and deep convection bursts surrounding the disturbance made formation highly likely over the next 5 days

The disturbance entered closed circulation and intensified into Tropical Depression Five on July 20 while being tracked northwestward. Four crossed the central Atlantic near the Azores, while showing possible tropical cyclone formation for the next 5 days. Five quickly underwent a period of intensification, becoming Tropical Storm Debby just southwest of the Azores.

The newly formed tropical storm began posing a threat to the Azores, as the outer bands began to batter the Azores with rain and wind. Abundant atmospheric moisture and low vertical and horizontal wind shear underwent a period of rapid intensification, upgrading Debby to a Category 1 hurricane on July 23.

Debby began to move fast, moving 8 mph with winds up to 85 mph. Closed circulation intensified the hurricane into the first major hurricane of the season, with 115 mph winds. Debby weakened back to a Category 2 hurricane before entering high vertical shear.

Debby weakened into a tropical depression before becoming extratropical on July 29, and a frontal system merged with Tropical Depression Debby, fully making Debby dissipated on July 30.

No direct landfalls were made from Debby, but outer bands of the storm battered the Azores and causing minimal damages during its lifespan.

### Hurricane Ernesto

 Duration
 Peak intensity

A trough of low pressure area emerged from the African coastline on August 2. Vertical wind shear was low near the area from the Main Development Region, so formation was highly expectable during the next 5 days from the emerge. August 3 saw the birth of a disturbance with a 90% chance of tropical cyclogenesis in the next 48 hours. Moisture near the Atlantic basin, plus no vertical shear formed the birth of Tropical Depression Six on August 4 while rapid deepening happened in the depression.

The depression stabilized into a 35 mph depression with a barometric pressure of 999 millibars. As the depression tracked westward, a large disturbed area of weather interacted with Six, causing a period of gradual intensification over the next few days. Closed circulation, as well as adequate moisture levels, intensified Six into a tropical storm, due to radar imagery of spiral banding motion, and the name Ernesto was assigned.

Moderate vertical wind shear, as well as 28°C temperature waters began to gradually intensify Ernesto. Deep, persistent convection defined a ragged eye wall system in the middle of the storm, intensifying the storm into a Category 1 hurricane on August 7. Radar imagery, as well as computer modeling, showed a potential major hurricane by August 10-11. Closed eye wall circulation commonly appeared, which explosively intensified the storm into a 115 mph hurricane, making Ernesto the second major hurricane of the season.

Ernesto moved westward, tracking at 6 mph, when deep convection bursts gradually appeared, which upgraded Ernesto into a Category 4 major hurricane by NHC forecasters. The Dominican Republic was feeling the outer eyewall of Ernesto, as the storm progressed on through its track. Cuba began to issue manditory evacuations for Ernesto, as the storm was nearing its second landfall. The outer eyewall began to show circulation, as the storm downgraded to 145 mph by hurricane officials. Hurricane Watches began to issue for the Florida Keys, as Ernesto was nearing the keys.

Governor Rick Scott began to issue a speech about Ernesto being a "storm that will change our history", and that Florida citizens should take this seriously. Ernesto began to restrengthen into a 150 mph Category 4 hurricane before making a landfall on Florida. Marathon and Key West began to feel the outer bands battering the keys with rain and wind 3 hours before landfall. On the dusk of August 10, Ernesto made landfall on Marathon, as the eyewall directly passed over the Keys, leaving destruction behind, which totaled to $13 billion dollars in the Keys. The city of Naples and Fort Myers were under a hurricane warning, as Ernesto began to show another form of tropical cyclogenesis. Ernesto finally directly passed over Naples, as the eyewall battered Naples with 150 mph winds on August 11.

After landfall, Ernesto began to move northwestward, as Ernesto began to directly pass over Fort Myers and Sarasota with 130 mph winds, before moving upwards into the Tampa Bay area. Ernesto then weakened into a Category 2 hurricane, as the eyewall of the storm began to degenerate the hurricane into a tropical storm with low end winds on August 12. Ernesto then began to degenerate into a tropical depression, before drifting out to sea near the New Jersey coastline.

Ernesto then began to show tropical characteristics over the next few days, as Ernesto began to pick up speed. Spiral banding motion began to show again on radar imagery, which upgraded Ernesto back into a tropical storm as it tracked westward to more open waters. A area of moderate wind shear, and abundant atmospheric moisture upgraded Ernesto into a high end tropical storm. A defined eye wall system was found in meteorology radar, which gave Ernesto hurricane characteristics again. Ernesto kept this intensity for 5 hours, before weakening to a tropical storm again, as tropical storm watches were issued for the Irish Atlantic coast. Ernesto picked up more speed, weakening over and over before making landfall on Ireland as a 45 mph tropical storm. Ernesto later degenerated into a tropical depression and a gyre system interacted with Ernesto, fully dissipating on August 16.

Catastrophic damages occurred in Ernesto's wake, as 432,000 homes in Naples were completely flattered, and 230,000 Fort Myers houses were flattered or damaged severely. Damage totals from Ernesto was recorded at $17 billion US dollars and fatalities were reported at 35 fatalities.