Hurricane Ryne (2017)

Hurricane Ryne was an extremely powerful hurricane that was the first on record to achieve Category 6 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The strongest tropical cyclone on record, the only storm to eclipse it would be Hypercane Thomas in late December that same year. The origins of the hurricane began with a well-defined tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa in mid-August. By August 25, the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted the development of a prevalent surface low coupled with the building of intense convective-type activity near the center. A recon flight later identified tropical storm-force surface winds within the convection, but lack of a defined low-level closed circulation (LLCC) prevented classification as what would be Tropical Storm Ryne. However, prevailing westerlies on the south side of circulation resulted in the system being assigned the name Ryne the subsequent day. The 26th named storm of an extremely active and intense year, forecast models from early on predicted a very intense and long-lived storm late in the forecast period due to annular characteristics present in the new tropical storm. Initially slow to intensify, Ryne moved very slowly over Cape Verde as it dumped over ten inches of rain over the archipelago. By September 1st, Ryne had barely moved 200 miles past Cape Verde and remained a weak tropical storm with maximum winds of 45 knots (50 miles per hour). However, the next day, Ryne entered a pocket of waters with temperatures near 35 degrees Celsius, which had profound effects on the fledgling tropical cyclone. Within hours, Ryne had become the seventeeth hurricane of the season - the most within any Atlantic hurricane season on record (though the seasonal total would end up finishing with nineteen hurricanes). Continuing on a very slow track westward, Ryne entered another brief period in which no change in intensity took place. Although only a Category 1 hurricane, Ryne was absorbing vast quantities of moisure into its circulation, thus expanding the size of the cyclone as it began to grow to one of the largest hurricanes on record. By September 9, Ryne had achieved major hurricane status just 300 miles east of the Windward Island chain of the Lesser Antilles. The first major hurricane to threaten the islands since Hurricane Bob in January, the United States government began assisting with preparations by sending two cargo ships loaded with supplies to Barbados. One ship is presumed sunken and its entire crew dead after venturing into the hurricane by mistake, with no contact from the vessel after an hour of journeying into the storm.

The following day, Ryne made landfall over Barbados with the expansion of the hurricane's eyewall enveloping nearly the entire archpelago of the Lesser Antilles and parts of Venezuela. In general, damage was exntensive as the storm struck with winds of 100 knots (115 miles per hour). Upon emerging in the Caribbean, the cyclone curved slightly to the northwest due to the influence of a ridge of high pressure to the south. Thereafter, Ryne entered a 24-hour period of explosive strengthening - attaining winds of 185 knots (215 miles per hour) and a worldwide record low sea-level pressure of 867 millibars just east of the Yucatán Peninsula. At the time, this made Ryne the strongest tropical cyclone on record and strongest-wind speed hurricane ever recorded - tied with Hurricane Patricia. However, all records would later be surpassed by Hypercane Thomas in December. On September 13, Ryne made landfall with winds of 180 knots (205 miles per hour) and a pressure of 871 millibars near Cancún, thus becoming the strongest tropical cyclone ever to strike land. As expected, damage was absolutely catastrophic as nearly every building throughout Ryne's path was reduced to nothing but rubble. The sheer expansion of the cyclone resulted in heavy rainfall being dumped over the entire peninsula, with some unofficial reports of upwards of 75 inches of rain falling across the country. The record storm surge, peaking at 41.5 feet in height, eroded up to 30 miles of land from the Yucatán coastline. Cities such as Playa del Carmen were wiped completely off the face of the Earth. Heavy interaction with the terrain of Mexico resulted in some weakening as it emerged in the Gulf of Mexico, though Ryne remained a strong Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 knots (185 miles per hour). Continuing at a modest pace northwest, Ryne remained at this intensity until massive upwelling took a significant toll on the storm. A massive loss of convection took place within the eastern eyewall, aided by the entrainment of dry air. Within hours, Ryne weakened to a 135 mph Category 4 hurricane. On September 15, Ryne further weakened to 130 mph as it approached northern Mexico. The next day, Ryne made landfall near Brownsville, Texas, along the United States-Mexico border as a borderline Category 3/4 hurricane. Heavy damage was reported, as high winds tore the roofs off houses and ripped trees from the ground. Rainfall upwards of 30 inches was reported in Brownsville, causing significant flooding and mudslides in Mexico. Ryne's storm surge of 21.7 feet completely submerged South Padre Island, inundating over eighty percent of the city's housing. As Ryne pushed inland, the moutainous terrain coupled with dry air severely and negatively affected the mammoth cyclone. The next day, Ryne's core of convection collapsed as it explosively weakened to a tropical depression. Only hours later, Ryne transitioned to an extratropical cyclone as it emerged into the Eastern Pacific ocean. The cyclone remained active for several more days as it briefly re-attained tropical storm-force winds, despite remaining an extratropical cyclone. Ryne made its final landfall in Baja California, dissipating a day later as its elongated circulation was finally eaten up by dry air.

Throughout its path across the Atlantic, Hurricane Ryne was ruinous for many countries, especially the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Striking with winds exceeding 200 miles per hour, Ryne was the worst hurricane to make landfall since reliable record-keeping began in 1851. Preliminary assessments concluded that damage may have exceeded $1 trillion (2017 USD), however, finalized reports, after an entire decade of revisions and assessments, stated that Ryne's total damages equated to $256.9, thus becoming one of the costliest tropical cyclones on record, second all time to Hypercane Thomas. Quintana Roo Governor Roberto Borge described the devastation as "more horrific than that of an atomic bomb". Most cities and municipalities throughout the southeastern end of the state were obliterated. "Never in the history of Quitana Roo have we seen such a violent hurricane or great deal of damage," Borge stated at a United Nations press conference in the spring of 2018. Across the entire eastern half of the Yucatán Peninsula, damage was catastrophic. Entire cities were completely and utterly gone, while the amount of land erosion done to the state would have taken a process thousands of years long, whereas Ryne had done it in less than a day. Famous tourist destinations, such as Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Cancún were all wiped out in less than day. The majority of deaths were in the Yucatán, with an official death toll of 4,102 in that state alone. This made it the deadliest to strike Mexico since Hurricane Stan, and the worst to strike the Yucatán Peninsula since Hurricane Emily. In addition, Ryne was the strongest to strike the Yucatán since Hurricane Gilbert. Ryne's second landfall also proved very costly, making landfall in the exact same area where Hurricane Garfield struck several months earlier. Ryne produced the strongest sustained winds in Texas on record - with a weather station in Brownsville recording peak winds of 140 miles per hour.