2020 Hypothetical Atlantic Hurricane Season (General Wreck)

The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season was active and deadly. With A total of 17 storms, 10 hurricanes, and 5 majors it was an above average season.

Hurricane Arthur
On December 31, 2018, a Tropical Depression developed to the north of Nicaragua. It progressed northwest before slowing to a crawl and turning sharply east. A hurricane hunters aircraft investigating the cyclone found sustained winds of 38 mph at the centre and it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Arthur on January 1, becoming the earliest forming storm in Atlantic history. Then, Arthur took a track to the South-southwest and intensified into a hurricane on the next day. Reaching peak intensity with winds of 82 mph and a central pressure of 989 millibars, it made landfall in Honduras and weakened while heading more to the west. Arthur weakened to a Tropical Depression before it crossed into the East Pacific and dissipated in an unfavorable environment of high wind shear.

Hurricane Bertha
On April 31, the NHC began monitoring a wave located a few hundred kilometres south of the Virgin Islands. The system continued west across the Caribbean with little change in strength, until convection suddenly flared up and the system was upgraded to a Tropical Depression as it approached southern Hispaniola. It struggled to intensify as it continued, and made landfall in Jamaica where winds of 37 mph were reported, however the system soon became disorganized over Jamaica and lost depression status. As the system left Jamaica, however, it moved into a favorable environment and restrengthened to a Tropical Depression and then to a Tropical Storm once more and was named Bertha. The next day, Bertha assumed a more northwesterly course and became the second Hurricane of the season. It continued to strengthen up until landfall in Cancun, Mexico, with winds of 99 mph and a central pressure of 970 millibars, making it a Category 2 Hurricane. The pressure bottomed out at 969 millibars while Bertha was located directly over Cancun, however it weakened soon after and encountering an unfavorable environment in the central Gulf of Mexico, Bertha deteriorated into an open trough, although it still possessed Tropical Storm force winds. The NHC cited there was a slight chance (10 - 20%) of redevelopment into a Tropical Storm before its anticipated landfall in Mexico, however there was no evidence of redevelopment until two days before landfall, when suddenly Bertha redeveloped a circulation and developed convection over the western half of its wind field. Bertha continued to strengthen until it reached a secondary peak of 71 mph winds at its final landfall in Mexico. Soon, it weakened and the NHC issued its last advisory before Bertha dissipated over the mountains of Mexico.

Tropical Storm Christobal
On June 12, activity associated with a Tropical Wave was noticed to the north of Hispaniola. Despite only being given a low chance of development, it quickly coalesced as it moved along the north coast of Cuba. It was upgraded to Tropical Depression 2, and then, only 12 hours later, to Tropical Storm Christobal. It struggled against low outflow and moderate wind shear, being downgraded to a remnant low and then being upgraded to a Tropical Storm again within the time span of 12 hours. As Christobal turned north, however, it encountered a very favorable environment for strengthening and its winds increased to nearly hurricane-force before landfall in Florida. Christobal's core did not survive over land and it dissipated over open waters the next day.

Tropical Storm Dolly
On June 22, a quickly developing wave was spotted in the Western Caribbean. It coalesced into Tropical Storm Dolly within a day and intensified to a peak of 52 mph winds before landfall near the Mexico-Belize border. Weakening over land to a remnant low, The storm progressed into the Gulf of Mexico, where its intensity became unpredictable, intensifying to Tropical Storm then rapidly weakening to Remnant Low. After continuing in such manner for a few days over the Gulf of Mexico, Dolly was given "one final life" when convection formed around the circulation and Dolly regenerated into a Tropical Depression for a short time hours before the systems final landfall in Mexico and its subsequent dissipation.Due to the unpredictable nature of the storm, it caused 15 deaths, 14 in Mexico and one in Belize where a woman drowned in a rip current. Dolly caused catastrophic flooding in the Yucatan and damages amounted to over $342 Million US Dollars.

Hurricane Edouard
On June 26, the NHC noticed the development of a tropical wave in the open Atlantic. It headed northwest over the next two days, gradually organizing as it did so, until a closed circulation was found, marking the formation of Tropical Depression 4. It was soon after upgraded to a tropical storm, and named Edouard. It continued to progress northwest the next day and was upgraded to a hurricane. Edouard strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 mph before rapidly losing intensity due to high wind shear. However, this was short lived, as Edouard intensified into a hurricane again the next day, before aiming at Bermuda. The hurricane continued to slowly intensify over the next few days, until it rapidly intensified to a Category 4 and peaked at its closest approach to Bermuda, with winds of 140 mph and a central pressure of 934 millibars. Bermuda experienced damaging hurricane force winds until Edouard turned slightly more west and headed for North Carolina. Subsequently, Edouard weakened to a Category 3 hurricane as it underwent an eyewall replacement cycle and struggled against slightly higher wind shear. The hurricane stalled as it approached land, and re-intensified to a Category 4 before making landfall in North Carolina multiple times as it stalled unpredictably. Eventually, Edouard moved off the coast again and re-intensified to a Category 3 before making landfall on Long Island, New York and transitioning to an extratropical cyclone and dissipating over Canada.

Hurricane Fay
On July 9, a Tropical Disturbance developed near Puerto Rico. The system progressed to the northwest without further intensification until it was over the Bahamas, when the NHC started issuing advisories on the newly formed Tropical Depression 5. The system turned north and the NHC upgraded it to a Tropical Storm, and the next advisory the storm was named Fay. Fay slowly strengthened as it moved towards the Floridian Coast, however a weakening ridge caused the storm to slow and turn north-northeast. The NHC upgraded Fay to a Hurricane a few hours later and a further twelve hours later it was investigated by a Hurricane Hunters Aircraft and found to be possessing 100 mph winds, a Category 2 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Fay then intensified quickly to a Category 3, becoming the Second Major Hurricane of the Season, and the storm turned towards South Carolina. On July 16 at 23:50 UTC, Fay made its first landfall on South Island, South Carolina, with winds of 118 mph and a central pressure of 950 millibars. Fay then made a Second Landfall on Cat Island, South Carolina at peak intensity with winds of 121 mph and a Central Pressure of 948 millibars at 23:55 UTC on July 16. Fay then made a final landfall at Pawleys Island, South Carolina with winds of 119 mph and a Central Pressure of 949 millibars at 00:00 UTC on July 17. Once over land, the storm crossed into North Carolina as a Category 1 Hurricane and dissipated on July 18 over the Appalachian Mountains.

Tropical Storm Gonzalo
A Tropical Wave was noticed by the NHC on July 17. It quickly developed and coalesced into Tropical Storm Gonzalo less than 2 days later. It began to head west and slowly intensified as it moved over the western Atlantic. Gonzalo was originally forecast to become a hurricane as it approached the Bahamas but a ridge caused it to stall and turn north before starting to head more easterly. Gonzalo reached its peak intensity with winds of 60 mph and its pressure deepened to 998 millibars before it hit Bermuda. moderate damage of around $1,233,000 was noted, and one person died in a rip current as the storm approached. After the storm cleared Bermuda, it began to weaken and eventually became extratropical in the northern Atlantic.