Hurricane Barry (2019) (Blackford)

Hurricane Barry was a small yet very intense Category 4 hurricane which struck the Big Bend of Florida on July 15, 2019. The storm had previously formed on July 11, 2019 as Tropical Depression Two barely on the Mississippi coastline near Gulfport. The storm caused significant damage along the Big Bend with some flash flooding occurring in the Panhandle of Florida as well.

Meteorological history
On July 6, the NHC began monitoring a low pressure system over Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee for tropical development within the next 5 days, marking a 20% chance of development, by July 8, a 30% chance of development within 48 hours and a 80% chance in 5 days had been marked as the storm moved over Mississippi.

Early on July 10, the system had a 90% chance of development within 48 hours, and a 100% chance in 5 days, early on July 11, as the storm passed by Gulfport, Mississippi, they upgraded the invest to a tropical depression. As the system moved off the coast that morning, it rapidly intensified and was named Barry in the 2 pm advisory.

Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings were in place along the Gulf Coast at this point, as it was uncertain where the storm would go, it further intensified into a Category 1 hurricane early on July 12 about 150 miles southeast of New Orleans, and was nearly stationary. By the evening of July 12, the storm had 90 mph winds and started moving east at around 3 mph.

Barry took advantage of the warm waters and low wind shear, and over July 13 rapidly intensified from a 95 mph Category 2 into a 130 mph Category 4, meanwhile, it had released a small area of convection into the Caribbean Sea, which would briefly be designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone Three that evening. Some forecast models showed the storm becoming a Category 5 hurricane as it made landfall, and the Floridian government ordered a mandatory evacuation on July 14.

The storm underwent a eyewall replacement cycle on the morning of July 14, weakening to a 120 mph Category 3 in the 2 am advisory from it's 135 mph Category 4 strength in the previous one. Despite this, the storm was still very dangerous, and was upgraded back to a 130 mph Category 4 hurricane by the 8 am advisory.

At this point, the outer squalls of Barry were causing strong winds and brief tornadoes along the coast of Alabama and some of Florida, it further intensified into a 140 mph storm by 8 pm on July 14, and by 8 am on July 15, about 2 hours before landfall, was observed with winds of 150 mph. It would make landfall at a intensity of 145 mph at around 10:30 am near Homosassa, Florida, over Dog Island. It further weakened to a 140 mph storm by the time it reached Homosassa, and by the 2 pm advisory was a 115 mph Category 3 located near Inverness. The storm moved off the coast early on July 16 near Daytona Beach as a 65 mph tropical storm.

The storm gradually weakened, and in the 8 am advisory on July 17, the final advisory was issued as the storm transitioned into a extra-tropical cyclone near Savannah, Georgia. The storm accelerated northeast, making landfall on July 18 near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina before diminishing near Virginia Beach early on July 19.

Retirement
Due to it's extensive flooding and damage in the state of Florida, Barry was retired by the WMO in Spring 2020. It will never again be used for a Atlantic hurricane, it was replaced by Beth, which would be used in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, and ultimately be retired after the 2037 Atlantic hurricane season.