2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season (Sassmaster15)

The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season was a rather uneventful and quiet season, having produced only seven hurricanes, including three major hurricanes; seven tropical storms, and sixteen total depressions.

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Season Summary
The 2017 season, severely affected by a strong El Nino producing loads of wind shear, resulted in very little formation of storms and a record low number of only four hurricanes. On the contrary, the season also resulted in the formation of three major hurricanes, typical of any average season in the Atlantic.

The season started with Tropical Storm Amy and ended with Hurricane Reese, an event similar to that of 2016's Hurricane Ysabelle, only Reese was weaker.

The strongest storm of the season was Category 4 Hurricane Madeline, which had a top wind speed of 145 MPH and a pressure of 934 mbar. The storm never made landfall, but followed a path starting in the mid-atlantic and moving northwest across the Northern Atlantic, only twenty-five miles offshore from South Carolina at peak intensity. Hurricane Madeline had indirect effects on the Eastern U.S.

Unfortunately, a devastating Category 3 Hurricane, Holly, made landfall in southern Florida as a strong Category 3 hurricane, resulting in several fatalities and several billion dollars in damages.

Mexico took devastating hits from several storms: Tropical Storm Cameron, Category 2 Hurricane Molly, and Category 3 Hurricane Oswald, resulting in over $30 billion in damages and the deaths of one-hundred and seventy people combined.

Pre-Season Forecasts
NOAA forecasted another above-average season, similar to, but not as devastating as, the 2016 season the year before, because of the strong La Nina that killed all wind shear and raised sea level temperatures. However, this dissipated in January of 2017, resulting in lower ocean temperatures, a drier environment, and relatively high wind shear. This resulted in the formation of a record low number of hurricane formations. In the spring of 2017, the NOAA revised their predictions to include 18-20 tropical depressions, 14 tropical storms, about 8-10 hurricanes, and 3-5 major hurricanes. However, the season actually produced 16 total depressions, seven tropical storms, four hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.

Tropical Storm Amy
A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on June 13 and to the South of Cape Verde. On June 14, relatively early in the season, the wave became TD One and continued on a track westward towards the Lesser Antilles. On June 15, the depression became more organized and was the first Tropical Storm of the season, earning the name Amy. Tropical Storm Amy made landfall in the Lesser Antilles on June 16, bringing heavy rains and high winds. However, high levels of wind shear in the Caribbean caused the storm to weaken and dissipate as a tropical depression on June 17, 2017, resulting in no fatalities and minimal damage.

Tropical Depression Two
On June 23, a low-pressure system had formed over the Cape Verde islands and within hours, at 4 P.M. EST, the system became a tropical depression, the 2nd of the season. The depression moved westward over the mid-atlantic, but encountered a high-pressure system with high levels of wind shear, stalling the depression over a pocket of cooler waters, killing further development of the system into a tropical storm, causing it to dissipate only fifteen miles off the coast of Cape Verde a day after it formed.

Tropical Storm Cameron
A low-pressure system (non-tropical) had been stalled over the Lesser Antilles for a period of about two days before a tropical wave that had exited Cape Verde (failing to develop because of several troughs of wind shear) caught the system and pushed it on a westward track over the Caribbean, where favorable conditions allowed it to form into a depression on July 2. Later that day, the newly formed depression then became tropical, allowing the system to continue strengthening into Tropical Storm Cameron. On July 3, Tropical Storm Cameron made a direct hit on the Cayman Islands and part of the Yucatan, causing over $15 million in damages and seven deaths. Yet, the storm continued to strengthen over the ideal spot: the Gulf of Mexico. In this spot, warm water temperatures and moist air allowed TS Cameron to strengthen under ideal conditions, becoming an intense tropical storm with heavy rains and winds over 70 MPH. A cold front sweeping over Louisiana and Mississippi caused the storm to not make landfall in the U.S., where the NHC forecasted it to make landfall on July 6. Instead, the track of the storm shifted westward, pushing it to make landfall in northern Mexico and part of Texas at 11 P.M. EST on July 6, catching many off guard. The storm made landfall as a powerful tropical system with 65 MPH winds and heavy rain. However, within two days the storm weakened to a low-pressure system that moved over the desert, where drier air resides, killing off the storm completely. The damage was mainly minimal, but resulted in the deaths of two people when a tree fell on a car with people inside, caused by a 70 MPH gust, killing the two passengers inside.

Hurricane Dillon
On July 6, a tropical wave exited the coast of Cape Verde with a relatively high chance of intensifying. Sure enough, On July 7, the wave became a Tropical Depression thirty miles Northwest of the Cape Verde Islands. The system pushed over the Northern Atlantic, becoming Tropical Storm Dillon the next day. The NHC forecasted a potential Hurricane Warning for anybody south of Charleston, South Carolina. On July 9, intensification was not yet over. At 9 A.M. EST, TS Dillon became a powerful Category 1 hurricane with 85 MPH sustained winds. Later that day, the storm made landfall in Bermuda at peak intensity. The storm continued well into the night, bringing heavy rains, gusty winds, and blinding lightning. By morning, the storm caused over a dozen deaths in Bermuda and over $7.5 million in damages. On July 10, Hurricane Dillon made landfall in Savannah, GA at 11 A.M. EST. The city did not suffer enormous damage because of 75 MPH winds and a relatively low storm surge. The damage was worst at The Savannah College of Art and Design, where an explosion happened in a dormitory, killing five female students and causing over $10 million in damages. The official cause of the fire was a fallen tree that ripped out the natural gas line to the building. The storm moved out of Savannah as a weakening Tropical Storm later that day and moved NE along the Atlantic Coast. By July 12, the storm had reached Boston, MA and became extratropical. However, Dillon was fierce and nailed Boston with large hailstones and a tornado warning. The remnants of Dillon dissipated over Manhattan at 11:30 P.M. EST on July 12, 2017.

Tropical Storm Ethan
TS Ethan began life as a tropical depression that formed 275 miles West of Bermuda, in close proximity to the Southeast United States. However, because of its slow pace, the storm took two days before it made landfall. On July 27 at 7 A.M. EST, the depression developed into a Tropical Storm, earning the name Ethan. That same day, the storm reached peak intensity and made landfall in Morehead City, NC. At peak intensity, the storm had a small 6 foot storm surge and 50 MPH winds. Surprisingly, people in North Carolina underestimated the power of the storm. The winds caused power outages throughout the state and highways to be shut down. Heavy rains combined with pounding waves caused flash flooding from Morehead to Surf City. The storm was strong enough to severely damage mobile homes and trailers, which sustained the most serious of damages in the entire storm. The next day, July 28, the system became very disorganized and almost completely lost all energy, quickly becoming extratropical while moving towards Virginia, continuing to cause damages with 45 MPH winds and heavy rains. A cluster of storms that broke off the disorganized storm produced an EF1 and EF0 tornado Petersburg, VA. On July 29, the remnants of Tropical Storm Ethan dissipated over Wilmington, PA.

Tropical Storm Faith
On July 28, a tropical wave had moved into the Caribbean after developing near the Lesser Antilles on July 28. On July 29, the system had become a tropical depression at 5 A.M. EST. Continuing to move Northwest but staying due south of the Dominican Republic/Haiti, the depression became Tropical Storm Faith at 4:30 P.M. EST. Later that night, TS Faith made landfall in Jamaica as a 45 MPH tropical storm. The next day, the landfall had severely affected TS Faith's strength, and it once again became a depression. Within hours of making a second landfall near the Cayman Islands, the storm had weakened to the point where it could not re-intensify, so it dissipated on July 30, making it one of the most short-lived Tropical Storms in history.

Hurricane Holly
Hurricane Holly was the most destructive storm of the season. On October 4, a tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa and traveled westward, to the North of Cape Verde. On October 5, the system became a tropical depression, and, later that day, a tropical storm, the 5th of the season. Over the next several days, the system continued to gain strength, steadily increasing from Tropical Storm to Category 3 hurricane on October 8, nearing Turks and Caicos. On October 9, Category 3 Hurricane Holly made landfall on the islands, which had already been evacuated in preparation of the mammoth storm. Residents of these islands were escorted by the U.S. Government to the mainland USA, where the storm would later make landfall. In the Turks and Caicos, Hurricane Holly caused over $25 million in damages and resulted in the deaths of three people. On October 11, Hurricane Holly made landfall in the Bahamas, causing $2.7 billion in damages and killing five. Two days later, the still-strong Category 3 storm made landfall in Miami, Florida as forecasted by the NHC. Hurricane Holly was absolutely devastating; bringing a catastrophic 15-foot storm surge, destructive winds in excess of 130 MPH, and heavy rains that caused quick flash flooding. However, the system weakened relatively quickly over land, and by October 14 Hurricane Holly became a strong extratropical depression. The last two days of the storm's life were spent traveling North across the U.S., and finally dissipating over Kentucky on October 16. Altogether, the storm totaled nearly $11 billion in damages and resulted in a total of twenty fatalities.

Tropical Depression Seven
On October 21, a new tropical wave moved west off the coast of Africa and passed over Cape Verde, where it became a strengthening tropical depression. However, the storm entered horizontal wind shear and areas of high-pressure, stalling the storm's development. Convection continued to decrease two days after formation. On October 23, Tropical Depression Seven dissipated completely, not making landfall anywhere, resulting in no damages and zero fatalities.

Tropical Storm Ignatius
One day after the formation of TD 7, a new depression developed over Cape Verde, reportedly from a low-pressure system that collided with the tropical wave that exited Africa on the previous day. Further development of the storm was hindered by the strengthening TD 7 continuing to grow, and things did not look bright for the new depression. However, on October 23 TD 7 dissipated completely, allowing more favorable conditions to develop for the new storm. However, TD 8 continued struggling to grow, only reaching a top speed of 35 MPH by its fourth day (October 25). On October 26, the storm entered the Lesser Antilles as a depression causing minimal damage and resulting in no deaths. However, the storm continued Northwest, over the warm waters of the Caribbean, allowing it to strengthen into Tropical Storm Ignatius. TS Ignatius then made a sharp northwesterly turn into Puerto Rico, however, this greatly weakened the storm. Moreover, this was the final run of the storm because after passing through Puerto Rico, TS Ignatius weakened rapidly, dying off that evening at 9 P.M. EST. In Puerto Rico, the storm hit after reaching peak intensity, so the damages were not as unfortunate as they could have been had TS Ignatius hit at peak intensity. In Puerto Rico, damages totaled $5.5 million and only one fatality was reported.

Tropical Storm Louis
TS Louis began life in the Caribbean as a tropical depression on October 24. It was the first storm of the season to develop in there as opposed to other storms, which developed in the mid-atlantic or near Cape Verde. On October 25, the new depression was well developed and strengthening. Convection increased at the center thanks to warm water temperatures fueling the storm's growth. Later that day, the storm continued on a sharp NNW path through Cuba and into the Gulf of Mexico. On October 27, TD 9 continued to strengthen into TS Louis, one of the most powerful tropical storms of the season. NHC experts issued a Tropical Storm Warning for much of the Gulf Coast, including most of Southern Florida extending all the way to Galveston, TX. By 9 P.M. EST, the storm even had a well-defined eye, despite it still being a Tropical Storm. When the storm underwent investigation by Hurricane Hunters aircraft, winds were sustained at 70 MPH, just 4 MPH short of being a Category 1 hurricane. At 11 P.M. EST, TS Louis made landfall in Pensacola Beach, FL, the site of many devastating hurricanes. TS Louis wasn't as devastating, but the system brought torrential rain, causing much flash flooding across the Florida panhandle. By October 28, the system became extratropical and later died that day twelve miles west of Atlanta, GA. The storm caused twelve deaths in Macon, GA after an EF2 tornado touched down outside the city and destroyed thirty-four homes, damaged forty-five others, and caused nearly $9.8 billion dollars in damage.

Hurricane Madeline
Hurricane Madeline started out as a new depression during a period of hyperactivity during the relatively quiet season. However, October showcased a burst of activity, with storm after storm forming, keeping NHC scientists busy. And what they were about to witness would leave them in awe. On October 26, while Tropical Storm Louis was making landfall in the Gulf Coast, another tropical depression had formed twenty-five miles northwest of Cape Verde, where most of the October storms were occurring. The newly formed depression rapidly intensified only two hours after formation, and NHC scientists forecasted this would be the most devastating storm of the season, as they were expecting a Category 5. By the next day, Tropical Storm Madeline then became a Category 1 hurricane with intense 85 MPH winds. Over the next few days, the storm plowed across the mid-atlantic, but a sudden wind shift sent the now Category 3 hurricane spiraling into the Northern Atlantic on October 31. However, the next day, Hurricane Madeline continued its explosive intensification, becoming a Category 4 hurricane with 155 MPH winds and a low pressure of 940 mbar, after Hurricane Hunters aircraft flew into the eye of the storm. Hurricane Madeline continued her northward trek, but it proved fatal to her development: about 245 miles east of Maryland, Hurricane Madeline started weakening after running into a trough of horizontal wind shear and low humidity. Unfavorable conditions continued into November 3, continuing to kill the storm. On November 4, the storm became extratropical and shifted Northeast, towards the United Kingdom, where the remnants of the storm made landfall on November 7, producing gale-force winds and a rain/snow mix. The storm lasted quite long over land as an extratropical cyclone, dissipating three days later on November 10. Hurricane Madeline never made landfall as a hurricane, which was good news for those in the Caribbean because they avoided what could have been a major catastrophe. The remnants of the storm did not result in any fatalities in the UK, and damage reports were minimal.

Hurricane Molly
Hurricane Molly first developed in the Caribbean after a tropical wave had developed near the Caribbean. Ocean waters were incredibly warm, which resulted in a quick formation of a new depression, just west of the Lesser Antilles. The depression quickly moved northwest, and became Tropical Storm Molly the next day, October 31. A Tropical Storm Watch was issued for the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba as the storm continued to move through the Caribbean. Within a few hours, the storm became a Category 1 hurricane with 80 MPH winds. On November 1, Hurricane Molly made landfall in the Cayman Islands, causing considerable damage with hurricane-force winds and a small storm surge. Upon making landfall in the Cayman Islands, the Northeastern Quadrant of the hurricane made landfall in Pinar del Río, Cuba, causing minimal damage, but resulting in no deaths. By November 3, energy was still fueling the storm, strengthening the system into a Category 2 hurricane. The storm brushed part of the Yucatán, but surged into the Gulf of Mexico and turned west, straight into Mexico. November 4 was when the storm officially made landfall, near Reynosa, while simultaneously making landfall in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Category 2 storm brought a twelve-foot storm surge, 110 MPH winds, and nearly two and a half inches of rain. However, as with any water-born storm, land began to take its toll on the Category 2 storm, and over the next three days it continued to weaken back down to a tropical storm, and then a depression before becoming extratropical on November 6. The system dissipated near Lubbock on November 7, resulting in ten fatalities and $7 billion in damages.

Hurricane Oswald
Hurricane Oswald was one of the most destructive storms of the season, resulting the deaths of over 100 people and resulting in nearly $20 billion in damages. The storm was undoubtedly the most destructive of the season, even though Hurricane Madeline surpassed the storm in strength. Hurricane Oswald formed near Cape Verde after a tropical wave formed near the islands on November 4. By the next day, the wave was gaining in strength, becoming a depression. Within hours, convection and wind speed were still increasing, resulting in the formation of Tropical Storm Oswald. While crossing the mid-atlantic, the storm was still gaining in strength, surpassing Category 1 status and becoming a strong Category 2 hurricane. On November 7, Hurricane Oswald became an intense Category 3 storm with 120 MPH winds. On November 8, Hurricane Oswald made landfall in the Lesser Antilles, and, later the same day, in Jamaica. The city that took the most direct hit from the storm was Kingston, which received 120 MPH winds and a twenty-foot storm surge that took out nearly everything on the coastline, as rebuilding efforts were still going on in the Caribbean from the major storms of the 2016 season. The storm resulted in forty fatalities alone in Jamaica, and caused over $6.7 billion in damages. Early morning on November 9, Hurricane Oswald had barely lost strength and plunged the outer edges of the Cayman Islands under twenty-five feet of water. At 3 P.M. EST, Hurricane Oswald slammed into Cancún, destroying everything in its path. A storm chaser by the name of Mike Theiss, who had chased Category 5 Hurricane Emily in the same area in 2005, witnessed a gas station awning get ripped of its supports and go flying off into the distance. Hurricane Oswald continued well into night, which is when residents of the city reported intense lightning and some of the strongest winds; strong enough to flip cars and blow them miles away from their original locations. By morning, the city of Cancún was nearly unrecognizable. Homes were smashed by strong waves and left as piles of debris. Popular beaches were trashed with dead fish, fallen palm trees, and seaweed from the ocean. Power outages were widespread. All in all, Hurricane Oswald claimed sixty lives and totaled over $12 billion in damages. After moving out of the Yucatán as a weakened Category 1 storm that experienced a short rebirth of strength while moving out over the Gulf quickly making yet another landfall in Mexico, this time in Poza Rica de Hidalgo, the site of many devastating storms in the 2016 season. Hurricane Oswald had weakened before making landfall there, this time as a Tropical Storm with 65 MPH winds. Tropical Storm Oswald did cause some major damage after an EF1 tornado touched down shortly after making landfall, causing over $560 million in damages and claiming only one life. On November 12, Hurricane Oswald dissipated near San Luis Potosí as an extratropical storm. The most destructive storm of the season was over.

Tropical Storm Paloma
A tropical wave developed near Cape Verde on November 15, developing into a tropical depression by the next day. On November 16, within hours of becoming a depression, the newly formed storm became Tropical Storm Paloma. On November 19, TS Paloma never attained hurricane status and began to weaken after colliding with a high-pressure system with wind shear in the Northern Atlantic. Within hours of this happening, the trough of wind shear tore the storm apart, never again to re-intensify. Tropical Storm Paloma never touched land and resulted in no damages and no deaths.

Hurricane Quinn
Leftovers from the tropical wave near Cape Verde that led to the formation of Tropical Storm Paloma led to another storm formation on November 17. Hindered by the development of Tropical Storm Paloma, TD 14 continued to strengthen and plowed through obstacles such as horizontal wind shear and cooling ocean water. On November 19, Tropical Storm Paloma had dissipated, and TD 14 rapidly strengthened afterwards. About 465 miles from the Lesser Antilles, the newly formed Tropical Storm Quinn was about one day from making landfall. On November 20, TS Quinn briefly became a Category 1 hurricane before weakening back down to a Tropical Storm and then made landfall in the Lesser Antilles, causing minimal damage and only two deaths. Later that day, the storm entered the Caribbean as a severely weakened Tropical Storm. The NHC gave Hurricane Quinn a 20% chance of re-developing, however, high levels of wind shear in the Caribbean tore the remaining tropical storm apart, thus resulting in its dissipation.

Hurricane Reese
The final storm of the season was very destructive and unusual in the fact that it followed the course of the 2016 season's final storm, Category 3 Hurricane Ysabelle. Oddly enough, Hurricane Ysabelle, was the final storm of the 2016 season, as mentioned above. Hurricane Reese first formed in a rather odd spot, where few hurricanes have formed and actually developed: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. A low-pressure system moving out of Morocco had pushed westward and (Not complete yet)