Hurricane Samuel (2020)

Hurricane Michael was a long-lived, monstrous hurricane that packed winds of up to 390 mph (630 km/h) and a pressure of 685 millibars. The storm was, besides Typhoon Neolani in Japan, the strongest storm on record. It also was third largest, with a diameter exceeding 1,250 miles (2,000 km). The storm left millions dead all along the East Coast of the US, Florida, and the Caribbean.

Meteorological History
Hurricane Michael started when a tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa, on August 21. With water temperatures of 82.5*F (28*C) and low vertical wind shear, the wave created a tropical depression, which intensified into a tropical storm over 12 hours. Named Michael, it continued to intensify, and after 15 hours, the storm intensified into a Category 2 hurricane, with a pressure of 960 millibars and 110 mph (180 km/h) winds. With warm waters all around the storm, the storm averaged out between high-end Category 2 and low-end Category 3 force, while the forward speed increased to 15 mph and the storm grew to a diameter exceeding 750 miles (1200 km) across.

On August 28, just 12 hours before hitting the Windward Islands, Michael intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of 160 mph and a pressure of 915 millibars. The storm continued to intensify, eventually hitting Dominica with winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and 905 millibars.

The storm continued to intensify, and it eventually reached wind speeds of 200 mph (320 km/h) and a pressure of 870 millibars just as it was passing south of Jamaica, on August 30. The storm then hit Cozumel as a 450-mile-wide storm, with a 15-mile-wide eye, 25-mile-wide eyewall, and 190 mph (305 km/h) winds, killing over 500 in the city.

It then passed into the Gulf of Mexico, where water temperatures exceeding 95*F (35*C) fueled tropical cyclone intensification. In 24 hours, Michael became the strongest storm on the planet, with wind speeds of 280 mph (450 km/h) and a pressure of 775 millibars. With hurricane-force winds covering an area bigger than the state of Ohio (with hurricane-force winds extend for a radius of 135 miles, or 217 km, surrounding the 20-mile-wide eye and 25-mile-wide eyewall), the storm was also massive. Moving at a speed of 15 mph (24 km), it then hit Florida full-force. It hit the city of Tampa with wind speeds exceeding 300 mph and a pressure of 765 millibars, while crossing Florida at a speed of 20 mph. The storm hit Orlando with wind speeds exceeding 250 mph (400 km/h). Two hours later, on September 7, the storm exited Florida with 225-mph (345 km/h) winds and a pressure of 845 millibars.

As the storm exited into the Atlantic Ocean, Michael began to intensify again, as waters in the Atlantic averaged out above 90*F (32*C), while waters as warm as 83*F (28.7*C) extended over 400 feet (121 meters). The hurricane moved at a speed of 15 mph, absorbing all of this warm water. The storm system eventually grew to a massive 1,250 miles across in 24 hours, while the tropical cyclone dropped 110 millibars over a process of 24 hours, to 735 millibars, while the winds increased from 225 mph (360 km/h) to 325 mph (520 km/h). At nine in the evening on September 10, the storm system was estimated to have the following features:


 * A 30-mile-wide eye,


 * A 50-mile-wide eyewall,


 * wind speeds of 390 mph (630 km/h),


 * a pressure of 665 millibars (19.64 inHg),


 * hurricane-force winds extending 275 miles (443 km) from the eye, with tropical-gale-force winds extending 625 miles (1,000 km) from the eye, along with winds exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h) extending 75 miles from the eyewall, and...


 * ...wave heights exceeding 260 feet (80 meters), plus a potential to create a 165-foot (50 meter) storm surge.

The storm then increased forward motion, to a speed of 20 mph. At 1500 hours Eastern Standard Time, on September 11, 2020, the storm hit just south of New York, producing winds of 390 mph that lasted for hours on end. The storm then suddenly swung north, at approximately 1730 hours Eastern Standard Time, moving north. The storm then hit Montreal with winds of 185 mph (300 km/h) and a pressure of 890 millibars, which lasted for hours on end, as the storm moved through the region at 40 mph. The storm swung toward the east, finally dying out on September 15.

Impact
Besides Typhoon Noelani, this was the worst storm the world had ever seen. Besides leaving millions dead, the storm system had effectively left the entire United States of America bankrupt, after it devastated the entire Northeastern region of the US.

Windward Islands
As the hurricane moved toward the Windward Islands, the storm system quickly intensified into a major hurricane, with wind speeds recorded at approximately 165 mph (270 km/h) and a pressure of 905 millibars. The storm extended a total diameter exceeding 500 miles (800 km), so the storm affected the entire region.

In Dominica, the storm hit the capital directly, producing a storm surge of 20 feet. Over 100 people were killed all around the island.

A total of 500 people perished around the islands.

Jamaica
Hurricane-force winds and heavy rain caused landslides on the Island. A total of 25 people perished. $500 million in damage was done.

Mexico
Cozumel was struck directly by the hurricane, as the hurricane's wind were estimated to be above 200 mph (320 km/h). The enormous size of the storm helped to produce a storm surge of 30 feet, killing over 500 on the island.

Florida
After intensifying into "the strongest force on the planet", according to the National Weather Service, the storm hit Tampa and St. Petersburg directly on September 6. Hurricane-force winds extended as far down as Marco Island, and as far north as Tallahassee, with 100 mph (160 km/h) winds extending as far south as 35 miles, and as far north as 35 miles.

The storm produced 300 mph (480 km/h) winds that lasted for two hours. The high winds leveled everything within 25 miles (40 km) of the 20-mile-wide (32 km wide) eye. As the storm hit, it also produced a storm surge exceeding 80 feet (25 meters) in the eyewall. Every city as far south as Fort Myers experienced a storm surge of 33 feet (10 meters) that moved inland at 20 mph, almost like a tsunami. The storm surge flooded over 15 miles (24 km) inland, leaving tens of thousands more dead.

Gusts in excess of 200 mph were recorded in Fort Myers, while Sarasota recorded the same gusts about four hours before landfall. After killing untold thousands of people in the region, the storm continued east-northeast, eventually hitting the city of Orlando with wind speeds exceeding 250 mph (400 km/h) and a recorded pressure of 800 millibars (23.6 inHg). Just like in Tampa, the storm leveled many famous areas in Orlando, including Disneyworld and Downtown Disney. The city was leveled, with over 100,000 dead and over $375 billion in damage.

The storm eventually exited out of Florida on September 7, at about two in the morning. The storm left over one trillion dollars in damage and left about 3,000,000 dead, with over 200,000 more missing. The storm left hundreds of thousands more injured and/or homeless.

Mid-Atlantic States
High wind and waves caused problems all over the regions, with heavy rains killing dozens of evacuees as the storm continued to intensify.

Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
As Michael hit New York, gigantic rainbands caused many parts of Maryland and Virginia to experience tremendous floods and hurricane-force winds. The high winds shattered glass windows, knocked down trees, and damaged homes. Floods poured off many rivers in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, causing thousands of casualties in a region that had already suffered due to Hurricane Cristobal, which affected the region in June and killed thousands.

Pennsylvania
High winds and floods caused thousands of deaths and hundreds of billions in damage all along Philadelphia and other communities.

Delaware
Michael also killed tens of thousands in Delaware, as winds exceeding 125 mph produced enormous storm surges, devastating large parts of the area.

New York
As the hurricane moved into New York, the storm produced high winds exceeding 100 mph long before the storm hit. The increasingly growing wind speeds shattered glass windows, toppled trees, and even destroyed multiple homes. The storm surge caused problems long before the storm surge hit, and by the time the eyewall was estimated to be an hour from landfall, the storm surge was estimated to be exceeding 30 feet in some areas of New York. An hour before landfall, gusts were estimated to have reached beyond 200 mph (320 km/h), and sustained winds were approximately 170 mph (275 km/h)

Michael then made landfall, producing high winds exceeding 390 mph, and a storm surge exceeding 230 feet (70 meters) flooded dozens of miles inland.

The storm also destroyed the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, spreading radioactive material as far south as Virginia, and as far west as western Pennsylvania and the Ohio River Valley.

Long Island was already devastated by the time the storm hit New York City, leaving hundreds of thousands dead.

The storm system leveled every structure in the city, and caused death and destruction in its path, even causing tremendous flooding and tornadoes as far west as Buffalo.

New England
The hurricane produced a storm surge that devastated Rhode Island and Connecticut. The storm surge was actually "flung" through Long Island Sound into the Connecticut coast, flooding miles inland and killing hundreds of thousands.

As far north as Boston, wind speeds exceeding 80 mph (130 km/h) and a storm surge exceeding 13 feet (4 meters) caused problems all over the region. The storm surge flooded over two miles inland, while the winds caused major problems. Gusts of 130 mph (210 km/h) caused hundreds of casualties and billions of dollars in damage.

Canada
Michael swung to the north, moving into Canada at a forward speed exceeding 30 mph (48 km). Due to its size and wind speeds, the storm killed thousands in Montreal, Quebec City, and other cities in Canada.

Aftermath
Hurricane Michael left many cities completely destroyed. Much of New England and the Mid-Atlantic States were left uninhabitable. The storm was so strong that it literally scoured parts of Long Island and New York clean. Parts of Long Island were left permanently underwater, along with parts of New Jersey and New York.

In Florida, every city in the storm's path was devastated, especially Orlando and the Tampa Metropolitan Area. Florida was left bankrupt, and parts of Tampa were actually left permanently underwater. St. Petersburg was turned into St. Petersburg Island, thanks to the high winds and storm surge.

The Caribbean nations were also affected by the storm, and Michael had caused even more economic turmoil in the region.

In total, over 125,000,000 people were left dead, with over 1,000,000 more missing. Over $5 trillion in damage was done.

It is likely going to take years for the region to return to normal.