2028 Atlantic Hurricane Season (Requested by Bobnekaro)

The 2028 Atlantic Hurricane Season was a hyperactive season that produced some of the most destructivecyclones in Atlantic history. The season featured no tropical depressions and only a few tropical storms and C1-C3 cyclones. Nearly all storms were Category 4 or stronger. The devastating season resulted in over $155 trillion in damages and nearly a quarter of a million fatalities.

Season Summary
The 2028 Atlantic Hurricane Season season was a very hyperactive and destructive season that featured a record high number of major hurricanes, shattering records from previous seasons and setting new ones. Seasons in the Atlantic had been becoming hyperactive since 2022 due to increased La Nina activity and higher global temperatures and high level tropic activity. However, the 2028 season was in a league all of its own due to its activity and devasation.

Another unusual characteristic that was becoming increasingly common with the Atlantic seasons during the 2020s was the high number of off-season storms, both pre-season and post-season. The 2028 season opened with nearly 14 off-season tropical cyclones, all of which but one developed into major hurricanes.

The season started with Hurricane Alex and ended with Hurricane Theta.

Hurricane Alex, a powerful Category 3 hurricane, formed early in the off-season, a now common characteristic for most of the Atlantic hurricane seasons. The storm was the first depression of the season, first named storm of the season, first hurricane of the season, and first major hurricane of the season. Alex never made landfall after a close call near the Virgin Islands while the storm was at peak intensity, having produced indirect effects including rough seas and minor coastal flooding.

Hurricane Bonnie, a significant Category 3 that caused major damage, was the first storm of the season to cause major damage. Bonnie impacted the Lesser Antilles and several areas in the Caribbean, including Haiti and Cuba. The storm caused significant damage in these areas, especially in Haiti when it struck the Southwestern portion of the island at peak intensity.

Pre-Season Forecasts
Due to the longevity of a La Nina event that developed in early 2026 that resulted in the past two seasons being beyond average, the National Hurricane Center once again issued a hyper-active season with multiple catastrophic storms and possibly incredibly devastating impacts. With the development of major hurricanes Alex and Bonnie in early March 2028, the NHC released their predictions to include nearly 40 tropical depressions, 35 tropical storms, and 20 hurricanes. However, the actual activity was relatively close, with the exception of the quantity of the hurricanes, in which post-season analysis showcased that 26 storms achieved hurricane status, resulting in a record-setting season.

Hurricane Alex
Hurricane Alex was a pre-season event that took place in early March. As a result of seasons starting much earlier than expected over the recent decade, the NHC was keeping a close watch on the Atlantic due to the fact that a tropical system could develop at any given time. On March 3, a tropical wave moving west across the mid-atlantic became Tropical Depression One when about 375 miles from the Lesser Antilles. Due to the La Nina still in full-swing, wind shear levels were at an all-time low while higher sea level temperatures of at least 90º Fahrenheit allowed for early tropical cyclone development, and severe development at that. On March 5, Tropical Depression One was rapidly strengthening; growing larger in size with convection increasing at the center. On March 6, the system officially became Tropical Storm Alex, moving northwest at 35 MPH towards the Virgin Islands. By March 8, Tropical Storm Alex rapidly intensified into a Category 1 hurricane while the NHC issued an emergency evacuation for the Virgin islands and Puerto Rico as the storm was forecasted to make landfall in those areas by the next day. However, at 9 A.M. EST, Hurricane Alex, now a well-developed Category 3 hurricane with 120 MPH winds, shifted northeast and spiraled away from land and into the North Atlantic. On March 10, Alex entered waters of 70º Fahrenheit, severely hindering inflow and development of the storm, causing it to degenerate down to a Category 1. By 11 P.M. EST, Alex had weakened down to a remnant low, equivalent to a Category 1 storm with 75 MPH winds and a pressure of 992 mbar. Early March 11, the remnants of Alex dissipated over 800 miles east of Bermuda, having resulted in no deaths and very minimal damages.

Hurricane Bonnie
On March 15 a non-tropical system developed 155 miles Southeast of the Lesser Antilles. Within hours, the system took on subtropical characteristics and was named Subtropical Depression Two. The NHC gave the system a high chance of development into a fully tropical system, with a trajectory to pass right through the Lesser Antilles. On March 17, the slow-moving system became Subtropical Storm Bonnie, moving Northwest at 25 MPH. At 10 P.M. EST, Subtropical Storm Bonnie slammed into the Lesser Antilles near Barbados as a 50 MPH storm, bringing strong winds and heavy downpours. Damage from the storm in totaled around $25 million in Barbados, but resulted in no deaths.

After crossing the Lesser Antilles into the Caribbean, Bonnie underwent rapid intensification, including the development of an eye while strengthening into a tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds of 74 MPH. Bonnie continued to undergo intensification while the NHC issued mandatory evacuations for the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba. Bonnie continued intensifying into March 18, after a Hurricane Hunters aircraft flew into the eye and revealed that Bonnie had 110 MPH winds and a pressure of 969 mbar. Residents of Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic were aided in evacuation by the U.S., who sent planes, food, and other materials in order to transport them back to the U.S. The next day, Bonnie achieved Category 3 status and made landfall to the Northwest of Jamaica, slamming into both Cuba and Haiti at the same time, but keeping the strongest portion of the storm over the small bay that runs in between both islands. Bonnie caused major destruction in both islands, however. Bonnie's powerful winds knocked out power, obliterated small buildings, and wrecked farms in Haiti. Over billions of trees were pulled from the ground and/or completely debarked. A large EF2 tornado touched down near Les Cayes, ravaging the home of hockey player David Brumby, demolishing his estate and causing over $350 million in damages. Fortunately, Brumby was in Britain at the time Bonnie hit, so no deaths or injuries were reported at the Brumby Estate. Meanwhile, Bonnie's winds were traveling Northwest, meaning that Rio Seco, Cuba was pounded with strong waves coming from the Southeast, where the storm's most intense winds were. An incredibly high storm surge gauged at fifteen feet pounded along the small towns that lined the Northeast section of Cuba, including Rio Seco and Jauco, causing severe damage. In total, the most severe of damages were found along the southwest peninsula of Haiti, a section of land which included the Brumby Estate. Damage in Haiti totaled over $35 billion and resulted in nearly 260 deaths, while in Cuba, damage was less severe. but totaled around $600 million and resulted in only 12 fatalities.

Bonnie weakened down to a Category 1 Hurricane by March 20, having spent two days over land in the Caribbean, now making another landfall near Turks and Caicos, causing considerable damage and 10 deaths. While over Turks and Caicos, Bonnie strengthened back to a Category 2 storm for a short 3 hours on March 20, however, Bonnie underwent an eye-wall replacement cycle that limited development and allowed for breakage in the storm, causing clusters of cells to break off the main storm and move away from Bonnie. On March 21, Bonnie briefly re-attained tropical status before continuing to weaken into an extratropical low that dissipated early March 22 over the Bahamas.

Tropical Storm Colin
On March 26, a tropical low was spotted by the NHC west of Cuba, moving northwest at 25 MPH. The NHC gave the system a moderate 35% chance of development into a depression. Late March 27, the low developed into Tropical Depression 3. By the next day, the slow moving storm continued to intensify into Tropical Storm Colin, with 40 MPH winds and a pressure of 996 mbar. On March 29, Colin entered the Gulf of Mexico on a sharp, westward turn and made landfall that day in Corpus Christi, TX at peak intensity. The storm caused minimal damage, resulted in no deaths, and weakened within hours of making landfall. On March 30, Colin dissipated 15 miles Northwest of Corpus Christi, TX.