Hurricane Nana

**Hurricane Nana** was an erratic moving tropical cyclone that devastated portions of Venezuela as a moderate Category 2 hurricane, the strongest tropical cyclone to affect Venezuela, with wind speeds reaching up to 105 mph (165 km/h), and a barometric pressure recorded to be around 977 mbar (hPa), which is also the lowest recorded pressure in Venezuelan history. The final named storm, and final hurricane of the 2020 season, Nana was the costliest tropical cyclone in Venezuelan history.

## Meteorological history

An erratic moving disturbance was first highlighted by the National Hurricane Center on October 18, that was left from the remnants of Hurricane Rachel, which erratically moved near El Salvador and landfalled as a remnant low. The wave was marked under favorable conditions for development, due to temperatures from the moisture remaining high. The disturbance was initially marked as Invest 98L on the next day, with a high chance of development over the next 5 days, with an 80% chance of formation in the next 5 days. However, due to a large area of convection bursting, the National Hurricane Center issued advisories for Tropical Depression Eighteen on October 20, which was forecasted to hit Cuba as a minimal Tropical Storm. On October 21, spiral banding motion and more convection bursts prompted another advisory by the National Hurricane Center, which gave the name *Nana* to the newly formed tropical storm.

Nana continued eastward, until on October 22, a ragged, but circulated eye developed, as well as support within the recent RECON missions into Nana, prompted advisories for Hurricane Nana, as the storm continued in a eastwardly pattern. However, on 12:00 UTC, Nana's path turned sharply south, heading for Venezuela. The National Hurricane Center issued Hurricane Watches for the coast of Venezuela, as well as Tropical Storm Watches inland of Venezuela. Those Hurricane Watches were upgraded to Hurricane Warnings in the 18:00 UTC (11 AM ET) advisories, as a Category 2 peak was expected, with 100 mph.

On October 23, Nana reached Category 2 status, breaking the record for southernmost recorded hurricane near Venezuela in history, with a peak of 100 mph. On 06:00 UTC, the wind speed was upgraded to 105 mph, due to RECON estimates in low-level flights. A few minutes after the initial upgrade to 105 mph, Nana made landfall on Venezuela with an estimated peak of 105 mph and a minimal barometric pressure of 977 millibars, the lowest recorded in Venezuela. 2 hours after landfall, the system's circulation started to rapidly dissipate, as the rocky and mountainous terrain of Venezuela and other South American countries contributed to the weakening circulation of the system. On October 24 and October 25, the system deteriorated into a remnant low, marking dissipation.

However, the system crossed into the East Pacific, and began to show more circulation in the center of the storm, marking another invest generated from the remnants of Nana, in which the storm began to define tropical characteristics and regain Tropical Storm status on November 2. However, the tropical storm kept the name *Nana* due to being generated from the same system in the Atlantic Ocean. Nana turned northwestward, prompting a possible landfall in Mexico as a minimal Category 1 hurricane. However, due to shear from the Mexican landscape, development was relatively sheared. However, due to entering in better moisture, Nana restrengthened into a minimal Category 1 hurricane, with Hurricane Warnings issued for Mexico, and further Tropical Storm Warnings for eastern regions. On November 5, Nana made landfall on 07:00 UTC, one hour after the initial advisory of Nana's strengthening.

Due to land interaction and Mexican landscape, Nana rapidly degenerated to a Tropical Storm, before initially crossing back into the Atlantic as a sheared tropical depression on November 6. Due to higher presence of shear, Tropical Depression Nana struggled to reach further intensity of 40 mph. However, rainfall reached torrential peaking of 35 inches, possibility of reaching 40 inches during landfall.