Hurricane Olga (2019) (Blackford)

Hurricane Olga was a destructive hurricane which caused catastrophic flooding in Cuba, Jamaica and Panama during late October 2019. It was the second and final hurricane to cross into the Eastern Pacific from the Atlantic during the devastating 2019 Atlantic hurricane season.

It was also the final major hurricane of 2019 in the Atlantic, meaning there was 7 major hurricanes that season, which is tied as the all time record.

Meteorological history
On October 18, the NHC began monitoring a tropical wave off the coast of Costa Rica for the possibility of tropical development.

By October 20, a high chance of tropical development was noted on the system, and on October 21 the system became a tropical depression as it pulled northward.

On October 23, the storm neared Cuba as a tropical storm with winds of 65 mph. It executed a loop off the Cuban coast, and intensified into a 80 mph Category 1 hurricane in the process.

From there, as it executed a second loop, it rapidly intensified into a 125 mph Category 3 major hurricane, causing catastrophic damage in Cuba in the process.

The storm weakened to a 110 mph Category 2 hurricane as it prepared to make landfall in Cuba, however it narrowly avoided landfall and entered a environment favorable for very slow intensification, allowing it to re-intensify into a 120 mph Category 3 major hurricane, it also reached it's lowest pressure of 949 mbars in the process. Early on October 26, the storm attained a secondary peak of 125 mph as it moved southeast of Jamaica before it began to weaken.

The storm started to weaken considerably as it approached Panama, with winds dropping below 100 mph shortly before 3 pm EDT on October 26.

However, the system entered a rather favorable environment and on October 27 started to undergo rapid intensification, ultimately making landfall just after sunrise on October 27 with winds of 120 mph, making it a Category 3 major hurricane in Panama.

It then entered the Pacific later that morning, and briefly intensified into a 75 mph Category 1 hurricane before it started to weaken once again. It ultimately diminished on October 29.

Retirement
In Spring of 2020, the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) determined that due to Olga's significant impacts to Cuba, Jamaica and Panama, that the name would be retired. Olga will never be used again for another Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced with Oswald for use in the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.