2020 Atlantic hurricane season (Farm - Future Series)

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was the first in a group of three extremely active Atlantic hurricane seasons. It is tied alongside 1887, 1995, 2011, 2012 with 19 tropical storms, the third highest count in recorded history. It featured 11 hurricanes, which is the third highest total.

Hurricane Arthur
On June 2, a piece of low-level energy formed over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. After crossing Georgia and South Carolina. An area of low pressure developed off the Southeast United States by June 5, eventually leading to the formation of a tropical depression on June 7. Amid a generally favorable environment, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Arthur that same day and further to a Category 1 hurricane on June 9. An approaching mid-level trough directed the storm north-northeastward as it continued to intensify, and Arthur reached its peak with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) on June 9. A few hours later, it moved ashore on North Carolina. Following landfall, Arthur accelerated northeast across the western Atlantic while encountering an increasingly unfavorable environment, weakening to a tropical storm on June 11 and transitioning into an extratropical cyclone a day later. The post-tropical low eventually dissipated east of Labrador late on June 13.

Tropical Storm Bertha
A tropical wave moved off the west coast of Africa on July 9, developing into a tropical depression on July 19, On July 13, the depression strengthened to Tropical storm Bertha. On July 14, Bertha peaked with sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 999 mbar. The storm soon began weakening due increasing wind shear, but Bertha briefly restrengthened on July 14. Lisa managed to maintain tropical storm intensity while battling unfavorable conditions until early on July 15, weakening to a tropical depression at that time, and became a remnant low.

Tropical Storm Cristobal
An area of low pressure developed into Tropical Depression Three on July 16. Moving steadily west-northwestwards, Cristobal intensified into a tropical storm on July 18. Shortly thereafter, the storm reached its peak winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). It maintained it's strength for few days before weakening to a depression hours before making landfall on North Carolina, on July 21. Steering currents collapsed afterwards, but became a non-tropical low early the next day to the north of the Carolinas. The remnants moved west-northwest until dissipating on July 22.

Hurricane Dolly
On July 15, a tropical wave moved off the African coast. It did not develop until it entered the subtropical Atlantic on July 19, when it became Tropical Storm Dolly, Dolly was initially upgraded into a hurricane on July 30, but it did not maintain this peak for long, and it weakened back to a tropical storm due to wind shear. Shear relaxed shortly afterwards, however, and Dolly was able to re-intensify into a hurricane on July 22. It peaked the following day as a moderate Category 2 hurricane. Further intensification was halted by cooler waters as the storm began to accelerate north. Dolly transitioned into a powerful extratropical system on July 26 as it passed east of Newfoundland.

Hurricane Edouard
Main Article: Hurricane Edouard (2020) A tropical wave emerged off the coast of Africa on July 29. Due to unfavorable conditions, the wave did not develop further until August 3, it approached the Lesser Antilles, where Tropical Depression Five was declared. It did not take long for it to intensify into Tropical Storm Edouard. Upon forming, it was initally forecast to hit Haiti, but it turned west instead. Edouard weakened to a Tropical Depression on August 5, and it degenerated into a remnant low. Edouard regenerated later due to shear cooling down and warmer surface temperatures approaching. Edouard found favorable conditions in the Western Caribbean and rapidly intensified into a hurricane as it made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula. A determined storm, Edouard retained hurricane intensity. It was at this point that a U.S threat was suggested. Edouard emerged over the Gulf of Mexico as a minimal hurricane on August 9, but began to quickly intensify after about 12 hours. It reached Category 2 status on August 11, and later that day, Edouard was the first major hurricane of the season as it continued northwest. Edouard cleared out a large eye, and intensification continued. On August 13, Edouard reached peak winds of 155 mph before it makes landfall in Texas. After landfall, Edouard weakened as it curved northeast. It then accelerated over the United States, dissipating afterwards. Edouard caused at least $177 billion (2020 USD), making it costliest hurricane behind Karen. It caused 135 deaths, most of it is in the United States.

Tropical Depression Six
The sixth tropical depression of the season originated from a tropical wave that crossed the western coast of Africa on August 8. Tracking westward, the wave reached the Caribbean Sea and became increasingly ill-defined while in the central Caribbean. An increase in convection was observed on August 10 and the subsequent day as the wave entered the western Caribbean. After moving into the Bay of Campeche, a broad low-pressure area formed in association with the system on August 11. An increase in deep convection on August 12 led to the formation of a tropical depression. The cyclone then moved west-southwest under the influence of an anticyclone. On August 14, the depression made landfall in Mexico. Once inland, the depression quickly diminished to a remnant low.

Tropical Storm Fay
A tropical wave developed into a tropical depression just west of Puerto Rico on August 13. It soon intensified into Tropical Storm Fay, before striking Cuba later that day. Fay strengthened further after reaching the Straits of Florida on the following day. The system then struck Florida while it peaked with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) near Lake Okeechobee on the next day. The storm moved east of North Carolina before becoming extratropical east of Maryland on August 20. The remnants dissipated just hours after. Fay caused at least $655 million (2020 USD) and 12 deaths.

Hurricane Gonzalo
A tropical wave departed the western coast of Africa on August 12, becoming entangled with an upper-level trough to form a tropical depression on August 17. The depression recurved northeast and quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Gonzalo a day after formation. The system further intensified into a hurricane on August 20 and attained peak winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) twelve hours later. An abrupt increase in wind shear caused Otto to weaken as it accelerated northeast; it fell to tropical storm intensity on August 23 and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone six hours later, and dissipating later afterwards. It didn't cause any impact.

Tropical Storm Hanna
A large and convective tropical wave moved off the western coast of Africa in August 14, developing into a tropical depression on August 18. Satellite imagery and data from a research aircraft indicated the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Hanna two days later. Directed by an expansive mid-level ridge to its north, the cyclone moved west-northwest for several days, attaining peak winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) on August 21. It turned the storm northeast and then east as it encountered increasingly strong wind shear and began to weaken. Expansive outflow from Gonzalo caused Hanna's low-level circulation to become dislocated from its convection, and the system degenerated into a remnant low on August 23. The remnant low passed and dissipated six hours later.

Hurricane Isaias
Main Article: Hurricane Isaias (2020) A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 17, which developed into Tropical Depression Ten early on August 21 to the southwest of the Cape Verde islands. It quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Isaias, and it continued to gradually intensify within an area of light wind shear and warm waters. Isaias strengthened to a hurricane on August 24, and the following two days it attained major hurricane status. Its intensity fluctuated over the subsequent days as it passed very close to the Lesser Antilles, and it attained peak winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) on August 27, a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The hurricane oscillated between Category 4 and Category 5 status over the following four days, before weakening due to wind shear. On September 1, Isaias made landfall in North Carolina with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). It continued northwestward, becoming extratropical over western Pennsylvania before being absorbed by a larger storm over Ontario on September 3.

Strong winds from Isaiasl extended from Lesser Antilles to New England and westward to West Virginia. The winds, combined with previous rainfall which moistened the soil, downed many trees and power lines across its path, leaving about 20 million electricity customers without power at some point. Coastal areas suffered from waves and its powerful storm surge, with areas in eastern North Carolina, Puerto Rico and southeast Virginia reporting severe damage from both winds and the storm surge. Throughout its path, Isabel resulted in $103 billion in damage (2017 USD) and 78 deaths, of which 12 were directly related to the storm's effects.

Tropical Storm Josephine
An area of low pressure formed near the Bahamas on August 23 and gradually began to organize while moving north-northeast. On August 26 it was classified as Tropical Depression Eleven and was named Tropical Storm Josephine shortly thereafter while southeast of Newfoundland. The storm weakened on August 29 and it later tracked into the North Atlantic as an extratropical storm. Chantal moved east of Newfoundland where flooding was observed, where about 4 inches of rain caused the postponement of the annual Royal St. John's Regatta. Insured damage across the area totaled $8 million

Hurricane Kyle
Tropical Depression Five developed from a tropical wave in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico at on September 11, while located about midway between Mérida, Yucatán and Tampico, Tamaulipas. The depression is estimated to have strengthened into Tropical Storm Kyle. The storm headed north-northeastward and was difficult to track, due to multiple centers on satellite imagery. Kyle slowly curved east-northeastward and continued strengthening, with reconnaissance aircraft data indicating that the storm reached hurricane intensity on September 2. It peaked with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). However, the storm weakened back to a tropical storm early on September 3, before landfall near Panama City, Florida. Kyle rapidly weakened to a tropical storm about six hours later and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone over Georgia late on September 17. Kyle caused storm surge mostly in areas of Florida and Alabama. It is estimated to have caused at least $1.2 billion (2020 USD) and 11 deaths.

Tropical Depression Thirteen
A tropical wave developed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean on September 10. The system slowly organized, developing a surface low pressure on September 12. Convection associated with the storm steadily increased as the low moved towards west. By September 13, the low organized into Tropical Depression Thirteen. An upper-level low to the west caused strong southwesterly wind shear, which inhibited development. On September 14, a building ridge caused the depression to slow at the same time as the convection began decreasing. By September 15, the depression degenerated into a remnant low.

Hurricane Laura
Main Article: Hurricane Laura (2020) On September 11, a tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa and across the Atlantic. It developed a low level cloud circulation midway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles on September 14. The next day, the system had become sufficiently organized to classify the system as a tropical depression. On September 19 Laura became a hurricane while passing over the Caribbean Sea. The storm attained Category 2 status in the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall on the Florida coast on September 24. The next two days, it was absorbed by an extratropical low. In Florida, wind gusts reaching 100 mph (155 km/h), coupled with over 2 inches of rainfall and a storm surge of 3 feet, caused $2.4 billion (2020 USD) in damage. A total of 100,000 people lost power, and oil rigs offshore were shut down for up to a week.

Hurricane Marco
Main Article: Hurricane Marco (2020)

Hurricane Sally
Main Article: Hurricane Sally (2020)

Storm Names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 2020. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 2026 season. This is the same list used for the 2014 season. Storms were named Isaias, Paulette, and Rene for the first time in 2020. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.

Retirement
The World Meteorological Organization retired four names in the spring of 2021: Edouard, Isaias, Marco and Sally. They were replaced in the 2026 season by Edmund, Ibrahim, Malcolm and Sylvia, respectively.