2016 Atlantic hurricane season

**Note: This season is based off the actual 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. The majority of the storms in this season are the same, but are based off of NHC forecast tracks and model runs that depicted much more intense storms than the ones that took place. Supplemental unnamed/unnumbered tropical storms and depressions are added based off fail invests and/or satellite imagery depicting active systems the NHC never classified. Additional unnamed hurricanes are based off actual model runs that never materialized.**

**This season was inspired by Bobnekaro's version!**

The ***2016 Atlantic hurricane season*** was an active year of tropical cyclone formation in the North Atlantic Ocean, featuring a number of extraordinarily intense and destructive systems. The season is notable for having five Category 5 hurricanes (surpassing 2005) - Hermine, Matthew, Otto in addition to two unnamed storms - two of which registered among the top five strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded. Otto was also the first Category 5 hurricane in the month of November since a hurricane in 1932. Hurricane Gaston also surpassed Hurricane Opal for having the lowest minimum pressure ever recorded for a Category 4 hurricane that never achieved Category 5 status - 907 millibars, something typical of an intense Category 5 hurricane. Hurricane Hermine, the strongest storm of the season, was the first Category 5 to strike the United States since Andrew, the first in the basin to make landfall at Category 5 strength since Felix, and shattered the global record set by the 1935 Labor Day hurricane for the most intense landfalling hurricane. Hermine was also the third-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, behind Hurricanes Gilbert and Wilma, respectively. A noteworthy aspect of Hurricane Ten was that it was the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic since Felix of 2007. Hurricane Matthew, with a minimum pressure of 891 millibars, made 2016 the second occurrence of a season featuring two storms with a minimum pressure below 900 millibars. Because three Category 5 storms made landfall at this intensity, 2016 became the only season to feature three storms of this category making landfall at such an intensity. The 2016 season also surpassed 2005 as the most destructive season on record, due in part to the effects of Hurricanes Hermine and Matthew. Hurricane Alex was also the first hurricane in the month of January since Alice, and with a maximum peak intensity of 115 miles per hour makes Alex the strongest storm to occur outside the pre-set bounds of a typical Atlantic hurricane season as well as the earliest major hurricane on record. Tropical Storm Julia is also notable for being the only named storm on record to form *over* the U.S. state of Florida, while Hurricane Colin was the first hurricane to make landfall in the state in over a decade. Hurricane Lisa also surpassed Hurricane Julia for the easternmost major hurricane on record, while Hurricane Paula became the first post-season major hurricane on record. Overall, the season was the second-most active on record, featuring 27 tropical storms, 17 hurricanes, and a record 13 major hurricanes.

## Overview

 File:97L 2016-08-01 1530Z.jpg
The season commenced exceptionally early, with the genesis of **Hurricane Alex** from an extratropical cyclone. Alex struck the Azores at minimal hurricane intensity prior to transitioning back to an extratropical cyclone. Mesoscale convective energy leftover from the formation of Alex contributed to the formation of a powerful winter storm west of the Azores. In April, an unnamed tropical storm took the path of its predecessor, but never struck land. The system was the first Atlantic tropical cyclone in the month since Ana of 2003. In late May, **Tropical Storm Bonnie** formed near the southeast United States and struck South Carolina as a weak tropical storm, prior to emerging back over water days later. Bonnie continued east until degenerating to a remnant low on June 6. In early June, **Hurricane Colin** formed in the western Caribbean Sea and made several landfalls in the Yucatán Peninsula, Florida, and South Carolina, two of which at minimal hurricane status. Colin was the first hurricane in the month since Chris of 2012. Later that month, a disorganized **Tropical Storm Danielle** formed in the Bay of Campeche and caused minimal damage throughout Veracruz. Only days later, **Tropical Depression Five** took the same path as Danielle but was much weaker in terms of intensity.

 File:Matthew 2016-09-30 1845z.png
In late June, a tropical wave consolidated near Jamaica, rapidly strengthening to near hurricane-strength as it made landfall in western Cuba. The system later struck Louisiana at peak intensity. In early July, another unnamed system attained tropical storm status while positioned south of Newfoundland. Later that month, **Tropical Depression Seven** formed near Cape Verde but dissipate due to unfavorable conditions. On July 31, a strong tropical wave began strengthening to the season's first major hurricane, **Earl**, in the Caribbean, ultimately making landfall in Belize at peak strength. Earl later re-attained hurricane status in the Bay of Campeche and struck Veracruz at this strength. Later that month, an unnamed system in the Gulf of Mexico dropped torrential rainfall across much of Louisiana, resulting in catastrophic flooding. **Tropical Storm Fiona** followed, tracking across much of the central Atlantic but remaining weak due to wind shear. Two unnamed Category 5 hurricanes subsequently followed that same month, with one having minimal impact on the U.S. East Coast while the latter caused catastrophic damage across the Leeward Islands as well as northeast Florida and Georgia. In late August, **Hurricane Gaston** became a powerful Category 4 hurricane that had minimal impact across the Azores while rapidly weakening. However, Gaston was surpassed by **Hermine**, which began as a long-tracked tropical wave that developed east of the Leeward Islands. Hermine alternated multiple times between hurricane and tropical storm intensity as it passed through the Bahamas, only to undergo explosive intensification as it progressed through the Florida Straits and into the Gulf of Mexico. There, Hermine attained Category 5 intensity on three separate occasions prior to striking the Big Bend region of Florida with maximum winds of 180 miles per hour. The hurricane re-intensified as it departed the North Carolina coastline, attaining a secondary peak intensity as a major hurricane south of Massachusetts. Hermine retained hurricane-force winds as it turned post-tropical, causing catastrophic damage in New England at this intensity.

 File:Danny 2015-08-21 1620Z (new).jpg
**Tropical Storm Twelve** succeeded Hermine, having been operationally classified as a depression. The system had minimal impact across North Carolina and Bermuda prior to being sheared apart by, and eventually absorbed into, Hurricane Hermine. An unnumbered tropical depression followed in early September, bringing heavy rains to parts of the Bahamas and Greater Antilles. In mid-September, **Hurricane Ian** formed but had no effects on land. **Hurricane Karl** followed, passing directly through the Cape Verde islands and near Bermuda, with the latter reporting some significant damage from the storm. **Tropical Storm Julia** followed, becoming the only named storm to form over Florida. Julia meandered up the United States East Coast, consistently fluctuating in strength whilst compounding damage from Hermine less than a month prior. In late September, **Lisa** formed west of Africa but eventually dissipated due to unfavorable conditions, becoming the easternmost major hurricane on record. The remnants of the cyclone regenerated near the Azores and later tracked through the region while turning extratropical. Days later, **Hurricane Matthew** formed east of the Windward Islands and buffeted the region with heavy rain and high winds. Once over the extremely warm Caribbean with essentially no wind shear, the storm explosively intensified and struck western Cuba at peak intensity. Matthew turned northeast once in the Gulf of Mexico, slamming central Florida at Category 4 strength, weakening as it became the sixth storm and third hurricane that year to strike the East Coast of the United States. In early October, **Hurricane Nicole** meandered erratically about the open Atlantic, alternating between hurricane and tropical storm intensity. As the hurricane took a northeasterly track, it made landfall on Bermuda as a weakening Category 4 hurricane while simultaneously expanding in size. The hurricane, given its enormous size, stirred a tremendous area of high seas and propagated long-period swells across the entire Atlantic basin, causing extensive coastal damage from Puerto Rico to Atlantic Canada.

 File:Nicole 2016-10-06 1518z.jpg
The next storm, an unnamed hurricane active alongside Nicole, developed in the Caribbean and slammed Belize as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, causing catastrophic damage. An unnamed subtropical storm, classified in post-analysis, developed in early November. In late November, **Hurricane Otto** formed in the southwest Caribbean - the latest major hurricane in the month since a storm in 1934. Otto, after erratic movements about the region, tracked due west and explosively intensified prior to landfall - making landfall in Nicaragua at peak intensity. The storm remained intact over land and later emerged in the Eastern Pacific as a minimal hurricane, rapidly weakening and eventually dissipating due to unfavorable conditions. **Hurricane Paula** was a compact and watered-down version of the aforementioned hurricane, striking Nicaragua as a major hurricane and eventually crossing into the Eastern Pacific as a strong tropical storm, making 2016 the only season on record to feature two crossovers. In early December, **Hurricane Richard** developed in the subtropics, becoming the first hurricane in the month since Epsilon. Subsequently came **Shary**, which developed in the eastern Caribbean and struck Hispaniola, causing moderate damage. Richard continued to the northeast where it nearly became a hurricane, but ultimately turned extratropical northeast of Bermuda.

## Storms

Some tracks for this season belong to Bobnekaro, and are used with his permission.

Also, a *BIG* shoutout to Hypercane, who made the majority of the tracks seen in this season.

### Hurricane Alex

*Main Article: Hurricane Alex (2016)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Unnamed Tropical Storm

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*This system was unclassified operationally, and was determined to be a tropical storm in post-analysis.*

### Tropical Storm Bonnie

*Main Article: Tropical Storm Bonnie (2016)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Colin

*Main Article: Hurricane Colin*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Tropical Storm Danielle

*Main Article: Tropical Storm Danielle (2016)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Tropical Depression Five

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Six

*Main Article: 2016 Louisiana hurricane*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*This storm was left unnamed by the National Hurricane Center for unknown reasons.*

### Unnamed Tropical Storm

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*This system was unclassified operationally, and was determined to be a tropical storm in post-analysis.*

### Tropical Depression Seven

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Earl

*Main Article: Hurricane Earl*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Unnamed Tropical Storm

*Main Article: 2016 Gulf Coast tropical storm*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*This system was unclassified operationally, and was determined to be a tropical storm in post-analysis.*

### Tropical Storm Fiona

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Eleven

*Main Article: 2016 East Coast hurricane*

### Hurricane Gaston

*Main Article: Hurricane Gaston (2016)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Hermine

*Main Article: Hurricane Hermine*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Tropical Storm Fourteen

*Main Article: Tropical Storm Fourteen (2016)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*Operationally a tropical depression, this system was upgraded to a tropical storm in post-analysis.*

### Unnumbered Tropical Depression

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*This system was unclassified operationally, and was determined to be a tropical depression in post-analysis.*

### Hurricane Ian

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Karl

*Main Article: Hurricane Karl (2016)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*Operationally, this storm formed after Julia, but post-analysis review discovered Karl formed much earlier, on September 13.*

### Tropical Storm Julia

*Main Article: Tropical Storm Julia (2016)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*Immediately classified as a named storm while situated inland,* over *the state of Florida.*

### Hurricane Lisa

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*Lisa dissipated into a remnant low on September 25. The remnants shifted northeast and accelerated towards the Azores, re-developing into a tropical storm on September 27 while southwest of the archipelago. Lisa dissipated for a final time the subsequent day while tracking through the eastern end of the region.*

### Hurricane Matthew

*Main Article: Hurricane Matthew*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Nicole

*Main Article: Hurricane Nicole (2016)*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Hurricane Twenty-One

*Main Article: 2016 Belize hurricane*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*This storm was left unnamed by the National Hurricane Center for unknown reasons.*

### Unnamed Subtropical Storm

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*This system was unclassified operationally, and was determined to be a subtropical storm in post-analysis.*

### Hurricane Otto

*Main Article: Hurricane Otto*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*First Atlantic hurricane to survive the crossover from the Atlantic to the Pacific since Hurricane Cesar-Douglas.*

### Hurricane Paula

*Main Article: Hurricane Paula*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

*A nearly identical but less severe incarnate of Hurricane Otto, also survived the crossover from the Atlantic to the Pacific.*

### Hurricane Richard

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Tropical Storm Shary

*Main Article: Tropical Storm Shary*

 Duration
 Peak intensity

### Other Storms

 File:Stephanie.png
In mid-September, Méteo-France began monitoring a cyclone in the Bay of Biscay that was deemed subtropical due an asymmetric wind field of tropical storm-force sustained winds as well as a warm core. This system drifted to the southeast whilst deepening somewhat, with a minimum pressure of 996 millibars. The cyclone eventually made landfall near the border of Spain and France and dissipated on September 16. Wind gusts exceeded hurricane-force near the coast, but no damage or fatalities resulted from the cyclone. The Free University of Berlin, in accordance with their policy of naming any and all cyclones that affect their area, assigned the Bay of Biscay storm the name *"Stephanie."* Possible reasons the National Hurricane Center did not classify the system include its association with a nearby frontal system.

In early November, the National Hurricane Center began monitoring a mid-latitude extratropical cyclone for potential tropical development and bestowed it with the recognition of *69L*, coming to be known as an experimental invest. Despite being deemed fully extratropical by the NHC, several meteorological sources confirmed 69L was briefly a subtropical cyclone on November 5. Additionally, the same tropical wave that spawned Tropical Storm Shary was considered to have briefly been a tropical depression on December 11 after multiple meteorological sources stated the system developed a well-defined surface circulation and deep convection while situated over Nicaragua. However, lack of sufficient evidence prevented classification.

## Storm Names

The following list of names was used for named storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 2016. Retired names were announced by the World Meteorological Organization in the spring of 2017, with replacement names slated for use in 2022. This is the same list used in the 2010 season, with the exception of *Ian* and *Tobias*, which replaced *Igor* and *Tomas*, respectively. The name *Ian* was used for the first time this year.

* Bonnie
* Colin
* Danielle
* Earl
* Fiona
* Gaston
* Ian
* Julia
* Karl
* Lisa
* Matthew
* Nicole
* Paula
* Richard
* Shary
* Tobias *(unused)*
* Virginie *(unused)*
* Walter *(unused)*

### Retirement

In the spring of 2017, at the 39th session of the RA IV hurricane committee, the names *Earl*, *Hermine*, *Matthew*, *Nicole*, and *Otto* were retired due to their significant effects across much of the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and United States. They were replaced with *Ethan*, *Haley*, *Mason*, *Natasha*, and *Oliver* for the 2022 season, respectively.

## See also

* 2005 Atlantic hurricane season
* 2016 Atlantic hurricane season statistics
* Impact of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season
* List of storms in the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season

## Season Effects

This is a table of all the storms that have formed in the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s), denoted in parentheses, damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all the damage figures are in 2016 USD.