Hurricane Gordon (2018)

Hurricane Gordon was the costliest tropical cyclone of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season and the most destructive tropical cyclone to strike Florida since Hurricane Irma of the 2017 season. The seventh named storm, third hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, Gordon caused widespread devastation in the Antilles Islands, Cuba, Bahamas islands, and the southeastern United States, inflicting a total of $26.3 billion (2018 USD) in damages and causing 129 storm-related fatalities in all affected areas.

Originating from a tropical wave that emerged off the coast of Africa on August 30, Gordon was classified as a tropical storm on September 3 while east of the Lesser Antilles. It intensified into a hurricane on September 5 and subsequently underwent rapid intensification, becoming a major hurricane on September 7. On September 8, Gordon made its first landfall in the Dominican Republic as a high-end Category 3 hurricane. Gordon then underwent an eyewall replacement cycle, and as a result weakened below major hurricane status on September 9. However, Gordon quickly regained strength and reached Category 4 intensity on September 10. Early the next day, Gordon made landfall south of Daytona Beach, Florida. The hurricane weakened as it passed over Florida, and emerged into the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 3 hurricane. Gordon restrengthened over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and on September 12 it reached peak intensity shortly before making landfall over Santa Rosa Island. Gordon rapidly weakened as it moved ashore, and by September 13 the hurricane had weakened to a tropical storm while moving over Alabama, and on September 14 became extratropical. The remnants of Gordon continued to accelerate northeast until they were absorbed by a cold front over New York.