Tropical Storm Bonnie - 2016

Tropical Storm Bonnie was a moderate, pre-season tropical cyclone that formed during the hyperactive 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. Bonnie's formation in late May marked the first occurrence of two pre-season tropical cyclones since 2012, in addition to being the third only known occurrence since 1951. The first storm, Alex, had formed in January. Having formed from a non-tropical area of low-pressure, Bonnie became Tropical Depression Two on May 22, nearly two weeks before the official start of the season on June 1. As a tropical depression, Bonnie brought heavy rain throughout the Caicos Islands and the Bahamas, eventually intensifying into Tropical Storm Bonnie in the Gulf of Mexico two days later, in which the storm reached peak intensity several hours later. Northeasterly steering currents turned Bonnie to the northeast, where it later made landfall in Cedar Key, Florida the following day with 50 MPH winds. Even as a relatively small system, Bonnie brought torrential rainfall and tornadoes throughout the state, causing extensive damage. Due to land interaction, Bonnie became extratropical on May 26 as it curved to the north, traveling along the eastern United States as a powerful storm that brought heavy rains and high winds to the Carolinas and Virginia. By May 27, Bonnie's remnants had reached Nova Scotia and made a direct hit with maximum sustained wind speeds of 45 MPH. The storm caused severe damage, with some of the devastation compared to Juan of 2003. Bonnie would later be the first in a series of devastating tropical cyclones to hit the country during the season. Bonnie continued to weaken in following days as it was absorbed by a larger system over the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

During its Florida landfall, Bonnie pounded the state for nearly two days at peak intensity, causing extensive and widespread damage exacerbated by the many tornadoes produced by the system. Heavy rain and a minor storm surge caused severe flooding throughout coastal areas, resulting in the closure of a plethora of public beaches during the storm's passage. Rough surf inhibited boating conditions, with strong waves leaving behind piles of debris on nearby sand dunes. Overall, six people lost their lives during Bonnie, with all fatalities confined to Florida. Four of the six deaths were attributed to a boat near Tampa capsized by strong waves prior to Bonnie's landfall, with another man in Cedar Key was killed after being struck by lightning, while still another died after drowing in floodwaters from the overflowing Suwanee River. In Nova Scotia, which was pounded with gusts as high as 80 MPH, thousands of trees were downed by high winds, leaving most roads impassible after being clogged with debris. Power outages were widespread, with the entire nation affected by the storm. All in all, Bonnie caused $122 million  in damage throughout the course of its life, leading it to be much more costly than anticipated. During the 39th session of the World Meteorological Organization's annual meeting in Orlando, Florida in the spring of 2017, the name Bonnie was almost retired due to its high impact, but this decision was later overturned.