2018 Atlantic hurricane season (Money Hurricane)

Seasonal summary
The first cyclone developed three months before the official start of the hurricane season. The remnants of a winter storm that had dropped heavy snow on Texas moved over Florida and into the warming waters of the Gulf Stream, eventually acquiring subtropical characteristics. The short lived depression, One, made landfall in extreme southern Virginia. However, the hardest hit areas were Ohio, Michigan, and other states that surrounded the Great Lakes, which saw widespread reports of 50+ inches of snow and extreme blizzard conditions for upwards of 48 hours as a result of the extratropical cyclone that developed from One's remnants. Two months later, another pre-season tropical system began to take shape in the Gulf of Mexico. It soon became a tropical storm and was named Alberto, before hitting the southeastern United States the same day with heavy rain and gusty winds.

The season officially began on June 1, although 2 systems had developed by then. By the end of the day, Tropical Depression Three developed near Honduras. The depression later became an extraordinary early-June hurricane, achieving the title on June 5 when it was designated as Hurricane Beryl. The hurricane went on to hit Louisiana as a tropical storm a day later, causing moderate damage. Torwards the end of the month, Tropical Storm Chris trekked across the Caribbean. The cyclone caused significant flooding in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala as it moved inland into Central America.

The month of July kicked off on July 5 with the formation of Tropical Storm Debby. The storm struggled with dry air over the central Atlantic for the vast majority of its lifetime, but the compact nature of the tropical storm allowed it to make it to 50 mph (85 km/h). After peaking, Debby quickly succumbed to dry air from the Saharan Air Layer which is known for dominating the month. Following Debby was another tropical wave, which would go on to become Ernesto while north of the Lesser Antilles. Ernesto spent several days as a tropical storm before rapidly intensifying as it turned northward. The storm made landfall in North Carolina as a category 3 hurricane, becoming the first to do so since Hurricane Fran in 1996. Ernesto caused extensive damage in the United States, which added to the already large damage and death toll as a result of torrential rainfall in Hispaniola. Towards the end of the month, Tropical Storm Florence developed over the far North Atlantic Ocean, becoming one of the northernmost tropical cyclones on record. The storm lasted to about 55°N before finally turning into an extratropical cyclone, losing out only to Hurricane Faith in 1966 which reached a maximum latitude of 61.1°N as a tropical cyclone. Along the way, Florence brought minor impacts to Newfoundland.

There was a short period of inactivity that lasted through the first half of August. The season restarted on August 14 with the formation of Tropical Depression Eight, which was soon upgraded to a tropical storm a day later and was named Gordon. Over the next few days, Gordon gradually strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h). This was a rarity, as Category 5 formation in the Atlantic is usually restricted to the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Gordon began to weaken not long after and turned extratropical over the North Atlantic without ever hitting any land areas. Following Gordon, Tropical Depression Nine was a very short lived tropical cyclone that stayed over the central tropical Atlantic and did little in terms of notability. At the end of the month of August and into the first ten days of September, Hurricane Helene slowly traveled through the Main Development Region, the Caribbean, and up the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. The most devastation was reported in Dominica and in east-facing parts of Jamaica, where extreme winds and high storm surge ripped everything in their path. Helene is also credited with being the highest ACE producing cyclone in the world, with a total of 84.0850 units being produced in it's almost 18 day lifespan from August 23 to September 10. Helene beat out the previous record holder of the title, Hurricane/Typhoon Ioke of 2006, by a little more than 2 units of ACE. Out ahead of the monstrous Hurricane Helene, a tropical wave raced through the extreme southern Caribbean and was eventually named Isaac. Isaac peaked briefly as a category 2 on two separate occasions: the first as it did a cyclonic loop and the second as it approached Central America. The system was largely considered notable after it became entangled with a tropical gyre over the Yucatán and caused significant rainfall throughout Latin America.

The total accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, as of Helene's last advisory, is 143.0125 units.

Subtropical Depression One
The first sign of a possible preseason storm appeared a week before the actual formation of the depression. A disorganized cloud mass associated with a frontal boundary and with the remains of a winter system entered the Gulf of Mexico in late February. It swiftly crossed the Gulf, weakening along the way due to unfavorable conditions. As it made landfall in Florida, the National Hurricane Center in Miami began monitoring the system for any suspicious activity. The system brought minor flooding and periods of strong winds, sometimes gusting above tropical storm force, but was largely disorganized. Weakening further along the way, it turned sharply to the northeast as it exited Florida into the warmer waters of the coastal Atlantic. Under the influence of a ridge, it moved into an area of lower wind shear as it neared the East Coast once again. Quite unexpectedly, a well defined area of low pressure developed, and shortly after the system acquired an asymmetrical warm-core circulation. Finally, as it detached from the parent front, the NHC began issuing advisories on March 1 for Subtropical Depression One, located south of North Carolina. The young depression paralleled the barrier islands of the state, peaking at 15:00 UTC (11 AM local time) on March 2 with winds of 35 mph (55 km/h). After peak, One turned to the northwest and crossed onto land just miles north of the North Carolina-Virginia state border and got entangled with another extratropical cyclone, effectively turning it non-tropical. The last advisory by the NHC was issued in the early morning hours of March 3 as Subtropical Depression One rapidly became indistinguishable over the West Virginian Appalachians. As the extratropical cyclone weakened, the old low collapsed and the remnant circulation of One emerged as the dominant low. The following day, the extratropical cyclone moved over Lake Huron and crossed onto land in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. On March 5, the storm underwent a staggering bombogenesis. The winds at the core increasing from 60 to 90 mph and the pressure dropped from 995 to 969 in just 24 hours. Completing a loop, the storm once again hit Michigan, this time in the south. Later on, observations on March 6 in Toledo, Ohio, at 15:00 UTC indicated that winds had reached 100 mph. Racing over Lake Erie, the winds began to relax as the center headed into Upstate New York. 36 hours after reaching peak intensity as an extratropical cyclone, the system was absorbed by a large Arctic front that swept over Northern Canada.

One was a nuisance for most of the Southeast, triggering some unneeded voluntary evacuations on the Outer Banks. In the Midwest, on the other hand, impacts were considered "catastrophic" by some. Before the storm arrived, the governors of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York declared state of emergencies for their states. Apon arrival of the powerful system, extreme winds caused many homes to sustain significant damage to rooftops and windows. An unidentified vessel capsized over Lake Michigan, killing 5. Most skyscrapers in Toledo, Detroit, Cleveland and other cities sustained damage on their upper levels. Up to 50 inches of heavy, wet snow fell over a widespread region of Michigan and Ohio, further exacerbating the problem and causing roof collapses in hundreds of homes. Also, the category 2-equivalent winds caused the snow to clump together, turning it into a dangerous projectile that caused many injuries. After the winter storm passed, President Trump declared the region as a Federal Disaster Area, allowing federal funding to be utilized by those effected. Damage is estimated to be nearly $7 billion (2018 USD) and over 50 deaths are attributed to the extratropical cyclone in the United States alone. The eastern provinces of Ontario and Quebec were also affected, but a warm air mass caused most of the snow to turn into sleet. As a result most of the indirect deaths from the remnants of One came from Canada in the form of numerous traffic accidents.

Tropical Storm Alberto
A pattern featuring a frontal boundary began to set up over the Gulf of Mexico by the third week of May. During the time of year, the setup was the usual cause of tropical cyclone formation in the region. Hence, the National Hurricane Center began monitoring the surface low as it moved erratically southward. By May 17, the main front retreated north, leaving the weak low behind. It was becoming clear that a tropical system was likely to develop over the Gulf of Mexico; conditions were conducive for thunderstorm organization. Taking advantage of this, the low, dubbed Invest 91L, quickly consolidated a closed circulation and was designated as Tropical Depression Two at 15:00 UTC on May 19. Through the afternoon, the depression moved sharply northeast. By early evening, however, Two began moving on a more gradual northeastward path, as it was already beginning to slightly interact with the frontal boundary from which it had come from. Subsequently, this caused the system to speed up torwards Florida. Two became increasingly messy-looking on satellite, but still managed to strengthen to the first named storm of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. A NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft found that the winds at the center have increased to approximately 40 mph (65 km/h), and an hour later the NHC officially declared the naming of Tropical Storm Alberto, coincidentally 24 hours after the original formation of Two. Alberto raced to landfall in Florida and crossed onto land at 21:00 UTC, May 20, north of the small coastal community of Yankeetown in Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park. At the time of landfall, the storm peaked at 45 mph (75 km/h) with a central pressure of 1004 mbar. Alberto crossed the Floridian peninsula in a mere 6 hours, weakening along the way due to land interaction. After briefly entering the coastal Atlantic waters, Alberto made landfall again near Charleston, South Carolina and was designated post-tropical less than an hour later at 09:00 UTC on May 21.

Impact from Tropical Storm Alberto was rated relatively minimal. The storm was a nuisance for Northern Florida, causing many businesses and schools across the region to close. Damage was not significant, and only 2 fatalities were reported as a result of the storm.

Hurricane Beryl
An area of disturbed weather in the far Southwestern Caribbean was first noticed by the NHC on May 28. The system was large and disorganized, and at first development was not expected. However, by May 30, the structure had improved greatly, and a day later a surface and mid-circulation emerged in alignment, but lacked clarity. At 21:00 UTC on May 31, the National Hurricane Center initiated advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone Three in response to Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings issued by the Nicaraguan and Honduran governments. It did not take long for Three to evolve into a tropical cyclone, and the transition was completed at 21:00 UTC on the first day of Atlantic hurricane season, June 1. Now known as Tropical Depression Three, it skirted the coast of Honduras without making landfall. Moving on to the warm waters of the Western Caribbean, the depression soon intensified to a tropical storm and was named Beryl at 09:00 UTC on June 2. The budding tropical storm strengthened all the way up to landfall in a rural region of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Prior to landfall, the storm reached peaked with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). Although the area was relatively flat, Beryl's structure was heavily affected by land interaction, quickly degrading to a tropical depression once again. Tropical Depression Beryl emerged into the Gulf of Mexico in the early morning hours of June 3, north-northwest of the city of Mérida, the capital of Yucatán state. The 31°C (88°F) SSTs allowed re-strengthening to commence, and only 9 hours after exiting the peninsula, a Hurricane Hunter plane identified tropical storm-force winds of about 40 mph (65 km/h) in the eastern quadrants of Beryl, and the depression was upgraded to a tropical storm accordingly at 21:00 UTC. Favorable wind shear and abundant moisture allowed Tropical Storm Beryl to gradually intensify throughout the day on June 4. By 03:00 UTC on the 5th, winds had reached strong tropical storm force. Hurricane Watches were issued for eastern Texas and western Louisiana, which were soon changed to Hurricane Warnings when the NHC declared Beryl a hurricane at 09:00 UTC on June 5, with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). That same day, Hurricane Beryl peaked with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h); the minimum central pressure bottomed out at 989 mbar. A ragged eye briefly appeared on infrared satellite imagery, before disappearing due to an approaching cold front. The front caused the storm to turn sharply to the east-northeast, and subsequent weakening followed as a result of increasing wind shear. The hurricane warnings were canceled and replaced with tropical storm warnings when Beryl lost hurricane status in the overnight hours of June 6. The tropical storm made two landfalls in a span of two hours, coming ashore in an uninhabited area of Louisiana close to Marsh Island, crossing Vermilion Bay, and making a second landfall south of Avery Island between 16:30 UTC and 18:30 UTC (11:30 AM and 1:30 PM local time). At both landfalls, the tropical storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a pressure of 995 mbar. After coming onshore, the winds quickly decreased and Beryl weakened to a tropical depression at 09:00 UTC on the 7th of June. 24 hours later, the depression lost tropical characteristics over the central US and the last advisory was issued by the Weather Prediction Center (WPC), which had been issuing advisories on Beryl since 15:00 UTC the previous day. The post-tropical remnants turned northeast before being absorbed by a front over Lake Huron.

Despite hitting multiple land areas, finalized damages were lower than expected, at only $256 million (2018 USD). Heavy rainfall caused several deaths in Nicaragua and Honduras; the culprits for most deaths were deemed to be landslides. In the United States, there were 3 reported fatalities, all in Louisiana, as a result of a EF1 tornado that ripped through the outskirts of mobile home park in Gonzalez, Louisiana, a town southeast of Baton Rouge. The total number of reported fatalities from Beryl, both direct and indirect, was 13.

Tropical Storm Chris
An African Easterly Wave emerged off the coast of Africa in mid-June. Although most of these waves did not manage to survive until late July, the wave that later became Chris managed to cross central Atlantic despite the dry air that was coming off the Sahara Desert. As the wave neared the Leeward Islands, the NHC began sending reconnaissance to investigate the state of the system. On the first few flights, dropsonde data from the aircrafts showed that the center was choked with dry air, which was inhibiting development. With time, progressively more moisture began entering the wave, and thunderstorms began to sprout around the low pressure area. It crossed over the French territory of Martinique and entered the eastern Caribbean. Organization quickly increased shortly thereafter, and at 03:00 UTC on June 25 the birth of Tropical Depression Four was confirmed by the NHC. The young depression turned on a southwesterly course, directly passing over some of the warmest waters in the sea. This, paired with abundant atmospheric moisture and generally low vertical wind shear propelled Four to reach tropical storm status 18 hours later at 21:00 UTC and be named Chris. At the time, the small windfield of the cyclone had 40 mph (65 km/h) winds which extended roughly 25 miles from the center, while the estimated barometric pressure was 1006 millibars. After being named, Chris returned to a westward motion, sparing South America and neighboring island territories from direct impact. The new tropical storm gradually intensified throughout the following day, and by mid-day on June 27 it had developed well defined banding features. Chris peaked at 09:00 UTC that day when several recon aircrafts found a ragged eye feature with a central pressure of 992 millibars paired with winds around 60 mph (95 km/h). However, the eye-like feature did not last long as dry air coming from South America invaded the circulation, and it vanished off microwave imagery, signaling weakening. This quickly became more apparent when the center became exposed the next morning as Chris sped torwards landfall. At 03:00 UTC on June 29, Chris hobbled ashore into a rural area of Honduras just north of the Honduran-Nicaraguan border. By then, the maximum sustained winds were already down to 40 mph (65 km/h); minimal tropical storm strength. Over land, the disorganized cyclone quickly disintegrated, and by 21:00 UTC that day Chris became indistinguishable as it was absorbed by a large gyre that was centered in the Bay of Campeche.

Damage from Chris was primarily the result of torrential rainfall and mudslides in mountainous regions. Due to the relatively small size of the storm, significant impacts were limited to northern Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala. However, in those areas, multiple people perished as a result of flooding. Some isolated communities found themselves completely cut off from the outside world as most bridges were washed out. In the following weeks, it is estimated another 15+ people died as a result of lack of aid. In total, up to 30+ people lost their lives and $450 million in property damage was reported.

Tropical Storm Debby
One of the first robust tropical waves of the Cape Verde season exited the coast of Africa at the start of July. It brought sporadic rain showers to the Cape Verde islands. The NHC took interest in the wave as it battled dry air, and marked it with a low chance of tropical formation. Conditions gradually improved as the wave moved westward into the central tropical Atlantic. Chances were increased shortly after as the disturbance continued to come together. By 09:00 UTC, the probability of cyclone formation was raised by the center to 90% in the next 48 hours, citing the "increasing organization and convection" surrounding the open low pressure. A Global Hawk unmanned aircraft was sent out to investigate the system and data that was reported 12 hours later indicated a forming tropical depression. Hence, the NHC initiated advisories on the fifth tropical cyclone of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Depression Five at 21:00 UTC. The area that Five was in was relatively favorable, allowing it to slowly strengthen as it moved due northwest. The cyclone spent another 30 hours as a depression until it finally became a tropical storm at 03:00 UTC on July 7, being named Debby. Upon classification, Debby had winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a pressure of 1005 mbar. The convection continued to coalesce throughout the day, and by 15:00 UTC the tropical storm peaked with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h); the pressure dropped to 1003 mbar. Shortly after, dry air began to pour into the circulation as Debby entered a plume of hostile Saharan dust. The integrity of the storm quickly degraded, and at 03:00 UTC on the 8th satellite estimates indicated that Debby had weakened to a tropical depression. A brief burst of convection associated with Diurnal Maximum (DMAX) allowed Debby to come back as a tropical storm, before once more becoming a weak and disorganized tropical depression 6 hours later. The NHC declared Debby a remnant low at 21:00 UTC on July 8 as all strong thunderstorm activity rapidly withered away.

Hurricane Ernesto
Following Debby's precursor, another tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after. As Debby moved northwest and later dissipated, the disturbance proceeded in a westerly direction. Dry air eventually subsided as the low neared the northern Leeward Islands. The National Hurricane Center began dispatching Hurricane Hunter aircraft to investigate the system around midday on July 10. Several missions failed to find an entirely closed circulation, but it was noted that it was getting better defined over time. Finally, a closed center was found by an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft investigated the system at 09:00 UTC the following day. The NHC promptly initiated advisories on Tropical Depression Six and issued tropical storm watches for the northernmost islands in the Antilles chain. However, the depression passed safely to the north, and the alerts were soon discontinued. Another aircraft investigated the tropical depression on July 12 at 15:00 UTC and found winds of minimal tropical storm intensity, and Six was then named Ernesto. The now tropical storm brushed the Leewards and Puerto Rico with no significant impacts, but turned southward towards Hispaniola under the influence of a ridge. At the same time, Ernesto began to slow down as it gradually strengthened over the warm waters of the tropical Atlantic. Rainfall forecasts began to rapidly increase for the economically poor island, and massive damage and loss of life was expected due to excessive rainfall that could cause floods and landslides, particularly in mountainous regions. Ernesto came closest to the island on July 14 as a mid-grade tropical storm with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). Throughout the day, Ernesto unleashed large amounts of rain while also slowly becoming disorganized as its core was disrupted by land. Re-intensification commenced as Ernesto began to move away from the hilly terrain of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and through the islands of the Turks & Caicos. The tropical storm began to strengthen quicker as it entered the coastal waters of The Bahamas, and at 21:00 UTC on July 15 winds of category 1 hurricane force were observed by a vessel as Ernesto made one of multiple Bahamian landfalls on Crooked Island. At the time of the observation, Ernesto had winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). Over the following day, the hurricane continued to intensify as it curved to the north, subsequently coming very close to Long Island and Great Exuma, and finally exiting the Bahamian archipelago after making its last landfall on the island of Eleuthera. After doing so, Ernesto was found to be a category 2 as it passed by Great Abaco and Grand Bahama, the northernmost islands of The Bahamas. A brief period of quick strengthening began early on July 17, leading to another probe at 09:00 UTC into the storm finding that maximum sustained winds had increased to 115 mph (185 km/h); major hurricane strength. The barometric pressure measured inside the eye reached a minimum low of 968 millibars. The pressure began to rise again as Ernesto headed north, signaling that the hurricane has peaked, but the winds had not yet come down. Hurricane warnings were quickly put in effect for the entire coastline of North Carolina and areas in extreme southern Virginia, and the Outer Banks were placed under a mandatory evacuation. The center came ashore not long after 15:00 UTC on an uninhabited area of the Outer Banks barrier island chain, crossed Core Sound, and made a second landfall in the town of Atlantic, North Carolina. Both landfalls were made while Ernesto was still at category 3 strength. The hurricane weakened to a category 2 as it crossed Pamlico Sound and made its final landfall east of the small town of Belhaven, North Carolina at 21:00 UTC on July 18. After landfall, Ernesto gradually lost tropical characteristics and was officially declared post-tropical at 21:00 UTC the following day. However, the large extratropical remnant continued to be nuisance for the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest for the next several days, before finally moving into Canada on July 21.

Damage from Hurricane Ernesto was significant both in the Caribbean and in the United States. The storm struck the island of Hispaniola, much of which was still recovering from Tropical Storm Don in 2017, which likewise caused heavy rainfall due to its slow movement. Relief efforts had to be completely restarted to accommodate for the latest damage and causalities, and many people that were being housed in aid camps completely lost everything once again. After Hispaniola, the storm passed through the Turks & Caicos and The Bahamas, where it caused fairly minor damage. In the United States, the Outer Banks were the hardest hit. As usual, North Carolina Route 12 suffered from washouts and had to be repaired after the storm. Many houses were severely damaged and had to be demolished and rebuilt, and most residents did not permanently return to the area until a few months after the storm. Further inland, damage was not as severe, but there were numerous power outages and tree damage was widespread. In total, about $18 billion and 113 deaths are directly attributed to the storm.

Tropical Storm Florence
A decaying low pressure exited the southern United States and headed in a northeasterly direction, parallel to the Eastern Seaboard. Taking advantage of the Gulf Stream, the low began increasingly warm-cored, but still lacked essential characteristics of a fully tropical cyclone. Therefore, while the low pressure was south of Nova Scotia on July 26, the National Hurricane Center declared that it was a subtropical depression at 21:00 UTC. The future was rather uncertain for the seventh storm of the season; models were divided on its future path. Seven continued on its former northeast heading for another two days before an extratropical storm swung down from the northern territories of Canada and forced Subtropical Depression Seven to turn sharply towards Newfoundland. Baroclinic forces associated with the subtropical depression's high latitude allowed it to strengthen to a subtropical storm despite being, at the time, level with Nova Scotia. The storm was named Florence accordingly at 21:00 UTC on July 28, while it had winds of 40 mph (65 km/h). Florence continued to intensify as it got closer to Newfoundland. At 15:00 UTC the next day, 6 hours before hitting the island province, the cyclone became fully tropical as a result of satellite imagery showing an apparent structure typical of that of a fully tropical cyclone. At 21:00 UTC on the 29th of July, Tropical Storm Florence made landfall in Eastern Newfoundland, closest to the small community of Southern Harbor. Florence's peak was observed at the time of landfall, when it had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h), and a minimum pressure of 995 millibars. After peaking, the intensity of the tropical storm remained fairly stable as it slowly returned to an extratropical state. Sea-surface-temperatures (SSTs) were much cooler north of Newfoundland, and Florence came under the increasing influence of a strong extratropical cyclone near England as it turned to the east. On July 31, Tropical Storm Florence completed extratropical transition at 15:00 UTC while at a latitude of 55°N, becoming one of the northernmost tropical cyclones on record. The extratropical remnant continued eastward before being absorbed by the another cyclone while it was south of Greenland the following day.

Florence, while a tropical storm, caused minimal damage in Newfoundland & Labrador and no fatalities were reported to be associated with the cyclone.

Hurricane Gordon
Following a lull in activity, the season resumed as a vigorous new tropical wave emerged off the African coast. The system was greeted with favorable conditions for development, and it gradually organized as it moved to the west. It brushed the Cape Verde islands with heavy rainfall, causing no known damage. On August 14, data from the newly operational GOES-16 satellite indicated that a tropical depression had developed west of the Cape Verdes at 15:00 UTC, and it was promptly designated Tropical Depression Eight. It remained as a tropical depression until August 16, when, at 03:00 UTC, it was named Gordon as winds increased to 40 mph (65 km/h); weak tropical storm force. Gordon began to gain more steam as the gradual intensification trend continued, and by 9:00 UTC the next morning, Gordon was officially upgraded to a category 1 hurricane. Shortly after achieving hurricane status, a small ragged eye began to appear, signaling further strengthening. The growing storm persisted westward, and fears of a possible intense hurricane strike on the northern Leeward Islands began to increase. However, upon being upgraded to a category 2 storm on August 18, Gordon began to show signs of re-curvature, due to a developing ridge located to the west and a high pressure area located to the northeast. Gordon turned sharply to the northwest, away from the islands, on August 19 after it was found to be a category 3 by a reconnaissance aircraft that had been sampling the system. Gordon began to grow stronger faster as it turned, and by 09:00 UTC on the 20th another plane found a category 4 cyclone with sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h). Continuing to intensify throughout the day, Gordon attained winds of 155 mph (250 km/h) the following morning. By that time, the storm was beginning to enter subtropical latitudes, and was expected to begin weakening immediately and fall just short of category 5 strength. However, Gordon continued to grow stronger with each advisory and at 15:00 UTC on July 21, it officially peaked as a minimal category 5 storm with maximum sustained windspeeds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 923 millibars. After peak, the structure of Gordon began to deteriorate as SSTs became too low to sustain a category 5, and it fell back down to category 4 strength 12 hours later. Gordon curved further eastward while continuing to quickly weaken, falling to category 3 strength at 21:00 UTC on July 22. The storm accelerated further north, and over the course of the next 2 days was swiftly downgraded to a category 2 and then to a category 1. On the evening of July 24, Gordon weakened to a tropical storm as it began to take on extratropical characteristics. At 15:00 UTC the next day, Gordon was officially declared post-tropical by the NHC. The remnant continued to race eastward before being absorbed by a larger extratropical system.

Despite being a category 5, Gordon never affected any land areas and did not cause any damage or deaths.

Tropical Depression Nine
Trailing behind Gordon, another group of tropical disturbances emerged into the Atlantic as the Cape Verde season peaked in activity. The first wave progressed due west while the second, more powerful one moved to the northwest. The second disturbance would eventually go on to become Helene. For the next few days, the first wave saw very little in terms of eventful activity, and the NHC stated that development chances were low. Convective activity finally began to increase on August 22 with a large blowup of thunderstorms on the low's northern side. Its relatively small size allowed it to rapidly organize over the next 24 hours, and on August 23 the NHC declared that Tropical Depression Nine had formed at 09:00 UTC. Nine peaked upon formation with winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a pressure around 1009 millibars. Nine failed to surpass this strength for the rest of its short life. Simultaneously, Helene began a period of rapid intensification and was now inducing much stronger shear on the young depression located to the south. Tropical Depression Nine turned to the west as Hurricane Helene came closer. The depression struggled to survive and by the evening of July 24, was virtually devoid of any convection as all new development was quickly sheared apart. Nine managed to sputter its way west before succumbing to Helene at 09:00 UTC on July 25. The withering remains were absorbed by the much larger circulation of Helene that same day.

In total, Tropical Depression Nine only lasted 48 hours as a tropical cyclone, and never came close enough to any landmasses to cause any impacts.

Hurricane Helene
A seemingly harmless wave emerged off the coast of Africa as the peak of the season drew closer. It passed through the Cape Verde islands, bringing some light rain and gusty winds. Otherwise, it did not cause any problems in the island country. Over the next two days, the African disturbance gradually organized over the warm waters of the Main Development region. Abundant amounts of moisture and low amounts of wind disruption with height allowed it to become a tropical depression during mid-day on August 23, being assigned the number Ten at 15:00 UTC. Shortly after, it was upgraded to a tropical storm and was named Helene. Only a little more than a day had passed since the cyclone's formation when it was upgraded to a category 1 hurricane, beginning a period of rapid intensification. On August 25, Helene intensified from a weak category 1 in the morning to a category 3 in the evening. The storm reached its first peak at 09:00 UTC on August 26, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h). Helene lost category 3 status the next day due to an eyewall replacement cycle. Around this time, multiple islands directly in the path of the category 2 began voluntary evacuations as they came under the scope of hurricane warnings issued by the National Hurricane Center. Helene did not stay below major hurricane status for long, and conducive conditions allowed for another period of strengthening to begin around mid-day on the 28th. By 21:00 UTC, Helene was upgraded to a category 4 cyclone as it drew closer to the Leeward Islands. Showing no signs of weakening, the powerful hurricane continued to grow in strength and 24 hours later was officially upgraded to the second category 5 storm of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Helene continued to grow stronger right up to its landfall in Dominica at 12:00 UTC on August 30. A weather station recorded maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 911 millibars as the eastern eyewall passed over the island nation, marking the official peak of the storm. After passing Dominica, Helene entered the eastern Caribbean, where moderately high wind shear began to degrade the system. The cyclone fell below category 5 strength at 03:00 UTC the following morning, August 31, and continued to lose steam as it passed south of Puerto Rico. Weakening halted on September 1, when winds began to increase once again after bottoming out at 125 mph (205 km/h). Jamaica appeared to be in the direct path of the storm as it turned slightly to the northeast while rapidly regaining its lost strength. Hurricane Helene became a powerful category 5 once again at 03:00 UTC on September 3. The following morning, Helene made its second landfall in the southeastern region of Jamaica known as Saint Thomas Parish. The storm passed almost directly over the capital, Kingston, with winds of 165 mph (270 km/h). At its second peak, the pressure was slightly higher than the previous at 914 millibars. After ravaging the popular tourist destination, Helene briefly weakened to a category 4 hurricane before quickly regaining category 5 as it trudged over 30°C SSTs and into Cuba. Helene made its final category 5 landfall at 17:30 UTC on the 4th of September, with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h). Fortunately, the storm moved ashore in a national park in rural southwestern Santiago de Cuba Province. Moving slowly over the rugged terrain of the park, Hurricane Helene gradually fell victim to core disruption and began a weakening trend which it would fail to recover from. The storm passed in a northwesterly direction over central Cuba and emerged as a category 3 hurricane. Turning away from Florida, it made three landfalls on the eastern islands of the chain: the first on Andros Island, the second on Great Harbour Cay, and the last one on the Abaco Islands. After hitting The Bahamas, Helene continued northeast and gradually weakened, being downgraded to a category 2 at 03:00 UTC on September 7. As it passed to the east of Delaware on September 8, it weakened further to a category 1 and was downgraded at 21:00 UTC. Hurricane Helene passed between Long Island and Block Island the next morning and made landfall in far eastern Connecticut at 11:00 UTC. This was the final of Helene's 7 total landfalls throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. Not long after coming ashore in New England, Helene began losing tropical characteristics rapidly and was declared a post-tropical cyclone in the overnight hours of September 10 while over the state of Maine.

Impacts throughout the Caribbean were very severe, particularly in Dominica. Most of the buildings on the island were completely destroyed by the high winds and coastal places saw storm surges of up to 15 feet. The prime minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, declared the island "uninhabitable" and that a "humanitarian crisis" had begun. During a press conference in the destroyed House of Assembly building, he said that Helene was many times more devastating than "David and Erika combined." In Jamaica, efforts by the prime minister and by other government officials to prepare and evacuate coastal areas payed off. The amount of damage and fatalities were not nearly as high as those of Dominica. However, the island was still raked with winds in excess of (260 km/h) and sustained heavy tree damage. Power outages continued to be widespread in the months following the storm. In Cuba, despite also sustaining major hurricane force winds for over 24 hours, damage was surprisingly minor. Most citizens took necessary precautions following the disaster in Dominica. In the Bahamas, the same areas that were still recovering from Hurricane Joaquin two years prior received a second beating and many restoration operations were set back several months. Finally, in the Northeastern United States and Canada, Helene's impacts were relatively minor. The most significant aspect in New England were flood warnings along the Connecticut river due to excessive rainfall in the river valley. In total, Helene's damage totaled around $47 billion (2018 USD), and 710 fatalities were reported, primarily in Jamaica due to the nation's greater land area and high population.

Hurricane Isaac
A weak disturbance developed over the central Atlantic, located southwest of the robust African wave that was close to becoming Helene. It raced to the west as it approached the Windward Islands. It quickly passed over Trinidad & Tobago and the northern coast of eastern Venezuela, bringing a brief but intense burst of rainfall. As the wave passed between the Venezuelan coast and some islands belonging to the country, aircraft reconnaissance from the National Hurricane Center discovered a closed center in the compact cloud cover. This led the NHC to designate one of the southernmost tropical cyclones in the Caribbean on record, at only about 11°N latitude, at 21:00 UTC on August 25. The small tropical storm was named Isaac, becoming the ninth named storm of the 2018 season. Tropical Storm Isaac continued at a fast clip to the west as it made two landfalls on two peninsulas in Venezuela and Colombia, respectively. The first landfall in Venezuela was at 11:00 UTC on August 26, followed by the Colombian one 5 hours later at 16:00 UTC. Both landfalls featured relatively minor impacts and no damage or fatalities were reported by their respective national governments. Isaac began to gain strength as it entered the warm waters of the southwestern Carribean. At the same time, the tropical storm also slowed down due to interaction with a tropical gyre developing over the Yucatán Peninsula. Isaac turned to the southwest and began to intensify at an accelerated rate due to warm SSTs and low wind shear in the region. At 03:00 UTC on August 28, reconnaissance data showed that winds have increased to 75 mph (120 km/h); weak hurricane force. The cyclone was upgraded accordingly to a category 1 hurricane that same hour. Another mission 18 hours later, at 21:00 UTC, revealed that further strengthening had occurred and that Isaac was now a category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) and with a central pressure of 975 millibars, measured by a dropsonde. Isaac's peak did not last long, and the following morning it began to weaken as it turned to the north as a result of the gyre. Increased interaction with the gyre due to its movement to the south caused disruption to the young hurricane's core, and it struggled to maintain category 1 strength for another day before finally succumbing to the gyre, which by that point was declared a tropical storm and was named Joyce. Issac weakened to a tropical storm at 15:00 UTC on August 30 as it nearly became stationary and turned to the southeast. It continued to battle Joyce for the next 24 hours until finally, the messy tropical storm was pulled away to the north by a cold front. Isaac began to gain forward speed once again as it completed the cyclonic loop that it had been doing for the past 3 days. It was re-upgraded to a hurricane at 09:00 UTC on September 1, and once again briefly peaked as a category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) as it made landfall in the southern region of Nicaragua at 23:00 UTC in a fairly rural area part of the Cerro Wawashang Natural Reserve. Following landfall, Hurricane Isaac quickly fell apart over the rugged terrain of Latin America, and was declared a remnant low just 10 hours after landfall, at 09:00 UTC on September 2. The remains of the hurricane crossed into Honduras and El Salvador and later entered the Pacific, where they eventually dissipated.

Storm names
The following names were used for named storms in the North Atlantic in 2018. This is the same list used in the 2012 season with the exception of Sara, which replaced Sandy. The names not retired from this list will be used again in the 2024 season.

Season effects
This is a table of all the storms that have formed in the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s), denoted in parentheses, damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all the damage figures are in 2018 USD.