2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season (CarmenWX34)

June and July
An area of low pressure developed in the Gulf of Mexico that congealed into Tropical Storm Alex which made landfall in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane causing serious coastal damage and severe inland flooding. In late June weak tropical wave travelled the entire basin until developing into Tropical Storm Bonnie on the first day of July. The storm made landfall in Belize as a weak tropical storm. Two weeks later Tropical Storm Colin developed in the central Atlantic remaining well out at sea.

Hurricane Alex
On June 10 a broad area of low pressure over the Yucatan Peninsula producing scattered and sporadic convection was noted by the National Hurricane Center for possible development in the Gulf of Mexico. On June 11 the area of low pressure moved off the Mexican Coast and into the Gulf and began to produce a greater, but disorganized, area of convection that caused heavy rains and gusty winds in Merida, Mexico. The area was given a 50% chance of becoming the season's first named storm and on June 12 a Hurricane Hunter P3-Orion Reconnaissance Aircraft measured flight level wind of 47 miles per hour and a closed surface low. Upon these observations the NHC upgraded invest 91L immediately to Tropical Storm Alex. Despite initial forecasts to remain a weak nuisance storm Alex reached sustained winds of 60 miles per hour by the next day. On June 13 the first hurricane watches were issued in Florida and Alabama with tropical storm warnings extending from Biloxi, MS to Tampa, FL. In the early morning hours of June 14 Alex was upgraded to a hurricane and made landfall at peak intensity in the Florida Panhandle with winds of 85 miles per hour the strongest to do so in this region since Gabrielle in 2019. Alex weakened to a tropical storm 7 hours after landfall and to a depression on June 15. Later on June 15 Alex degenerated into a remnant low while over Northern Georgia.

Heavy rains form Alex's precursor led to moderate flooding in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula which reached more than 7 inches in some places. 2 People were swept down a cliff and killed when their car succumbed to the floodwater.

Several Oil rigs were damaged from waves churned up in the Gulf and 3 were evacuated near the Alabama coast. Mandatory evacuations were ordered in every coastal community from Mobile to Cedar Key. As Alex made landfall sustained winds of 82 miles per hour knocked down trees and power lines which blocked roads and damaged homes. A large storm surge of 13.8 feet washed boats ashore and sank at least 16 medium sized fishing vessels. Homes and businesses were heavily damage in Apalachicola where the bulk of Alex's wind and surge suffered extreme damage and at least 2,386 were destroyed. Pensacola Bay's barrier islands were no match for Alex's storm surge and were unable to protect the cities beaches from extreme flooding. Several hundred hotels and homes were flooded in feet of water which led to a high economic loss.

Even as Alex weakened effects were still felt well inland as winds gusted to 59 mph in Macon Georgia. Widespread major flooding occurred as Alex remnants dumped up to 19 inches of rain in central Georgia and Eastern Alabama. This flooding was responsible for 13 deaths in Georgia and Alabama and as much as $63 million in damage. In total Alex is responsible for 21 deaths in the United States and 2 in Mexico as well as $289 million in damage.

Tropical Storm Bonnie
A rapidly moving tropical wave traversed the entire Atlantic Ocean and the Leeward Islands and into the Caribbean Sea in late June of 2022. The NHC noted that the area had a medium, 45% chance for development before moving over land. Wind shear kept the storm from developing at first but after hitting a small window a surface low was able to develop and thus Tropical Storm Bonnie was named on July 1. The window of low wind shear lasted only a few hours but allowed Bonnie to reach peak sustained wind of 50 miles per hour. However the wind shear soon increased and displaced much of Bonnie's convection from the center causing the winds to decrease to 45 miles per hour before landfall in Northern Belize late on July 2. By 5:00 a.m. on July 3 Bonnie degenerated into an open trough while over Mexico.

Precursor rains brought light to moderate rain to the Leeward Islands which caused only sporadic flooding in the mountainous regions where totals reached 3 inches or less. In Belize wind gusts of 43 miles per hour caused isolated power outages and left 82 people homeless when heavy rains caused mudslides that destroyed bridges and homes. 6 people were killed in Belize due to flooding and one man drowned when caught in a rip current. Light effects limited only to light rainfall were felt in Mexico where monetary losses did not exceed $9.5 million. In all, damage from Bonnie was relatively minor with only $17 million in losses and 7 deaths.