Hurricane Michael (Hitman)

Hurricane Michael was a deadly, destructive, and costly, Category 4 hurricane that affected Cuba and the United States Gulf Coast in late September 2018. A tropical disturbance formed from areas of low pressure and high moisture on September 15. On September 17, the disturbance became Tropical Depression Fifteen on September 17.

Then on the 18th, Fifteen became Tropical Storm Michael. The system underwent drastic intensification and became a major hurricane with 125 mph winds.

Cuba was hit hard by Michael, causing $13.2 billion in damages on the island. In the Gulf of Mexico, in a span of 14 hours, Michael went from a Category 1 with 75 mph winds to a Category 4 with 150 mph winds and a barometric pressure drop of 80 mbar.

The U.S. states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma declared states of emergencies on the 20th, followed by Alabama on the 21st. Michael slammed into New Orleans and Corpus Christi at low-end Category 4 strength. Over the next 3 days, devastating flooding in the cities of Mobile, Jackson, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Little Rock, Corpus Christi, Houston, Dallas, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City caused catastrophic damage.

Michael dissipated over Lake Michigan on September 27 after killing 4,871, injuring over 20,000, and causing $207 billion (2018 USD). Due to record damage, Michael was retired from usage and replaced with Micah for the 2024 season.