2016 Atlantic hurricane season (Live Version / DarrenDude)

The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season is a current event the the Atlantic basin.

Advisories on current storms can be found here

June
June showed extremely low activity, with only one tropical depression and once tropical disturbance in the whole month. Tropical Depression 1 formed early on June 6th roughly 600 miles north west of Cape Verde. The storm began to move north before turning extratropical on June 7th. Invest 92L moved off of Cape Verde on June 22nd but dissipated 4 days later.

July
Along with June, July was also very inactive. Only one tropical depression occurred in the whole month. On July 3rd, tropical depression 2 formed south of Bermuda and began moving west. The depression struggled to gain intensity and dissipated on July 6th.

Hurricane Alex
Main Article: Hurricane Alex 2016

On August 6th, an area of disturbed weather associated with a low began developing ESE of the general Bahamas region. On August 7th ICON initially gave the low pressure system a 20% chance of development, but later changed that forecast to 80% on the same day. The low began to fire convection as it slowly moved west. 35 mph sustained winds where recorded, making this storm a tropical depression on August 8th, the 3rd of the season. The storm continued to strengthen and became tropical storm Alex on the same day, the first named storm of the season. Alex began to enter the Bahamas, creating rough surf and heavy rains. The warm waters in the Bahamas region allowed Alex to rapidly intensify into a hurricane later on August 9th. Warning and watches were issued in many parts of the Bahamas, as well as southern parts of Florida. Alex gained category 2 hurricane status during the last advisory on August 9th, bringing more damage and destruction to the Bahamas.

Alex began to head for the Miami-Dade county, a heavily populated area in Florida, where evacuations where already underway. Alex continued to intensify after nightfall, bringing rough surf to Florida before the outer bands began to hit. Sustained wind speeds of 115 mph where recorded during the 8 AM ET advisory in August 10th, bringing Alex to category 3 intensity briefly before landfall. Alex made landfall at approximately 8.21 AM roughly 50 miles South of Miami. The eyewall of Alex passed directly through Miami and the Miami metro area, causing severe wind damage and 10 foot storm surge. Alex continued to bring heavy rains to Florida after landfall, weakening to a category 1 hurricane. Alex entered the gulf of mexico and briefly weakened to a tropical storm before strengthening to a category 1 hurricane. Alex made landfall as a category 1 hurricane in Alabama on August 11. Alex weakened quickly after landfall and dissipated completely later onghe same day. In all, Alex caused roughly 873 million dollars in damages in Miami and 70 million dollars in damages in the Bahamas. 21 people died in the Bahamas and 22 died in Florida from Alex. On person died in Alabama from the storm. 9 people died indirectly from Alex.

Hurricane Colin
Main Article: Hurricane Colin 2016

On August 13th, an area of disturbed weather in the eastern Bahamas became invested. The storm was predicted to enter the gulf of mexico, were recorded warm water temperatures were expected to promote intensification. On August 14th, this low became Tropical Depression 5, and on the same day, it became Tropical Storm Colin, the 3rd named storm of the season. On August 15th, Colin continued to move west between Florida and Cuba, bringing heavy rains and wind to parts of the Florida keys. On August 16th, winds of 65 KT were recorded in Colin, upgrading Colin to a category 1 hurricane. Colin was predicted to head north west after entering the gulf of mexico, possibly making landfall in Louisiana/Mississippi as a major hurricane.

On August 17th, Colin strengthened to a category 2 hurricane upon entering the GoM. In addition it began to head north west. Early precautions were taken on August 17th in New Orleans and Gulfport, before voluntary evacuations began later in the day in those areas. On August 18th, Colin Strengthened into a a category 3 hurricane, and began to increase in speed. Mandatory evacuations began in Louisiana and Mississippi. On August 19th, Colin strengthened into a category 4 hurricane as it became imminent that Colin was going to hit New Orleans and Gulfport. Colin made landfall west of Gulfport Mississippi on August 20th, as a 150 mph category 4 hurricane. Storm surge from lake Pontchartrain swept though New Orleans similarly to how it did during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Storm surge also occurred in parts of eastern Mississippi and eastern Alabama. Colin quickly weakened upomn landfall. On August 21st Colin became an extratropical cyclone, and later dissipated on the same day.

In total, Colin caused 14.8 billion dollars in damages, and 427 deaths, 75 of which were indirect. Extreme flooding and wind damage were the two costliest and deadliest aspects of Colin.