Hurricane Fernand (2025) (Blackford)

Hurricane Fernand was a extremely deadly, powerful and devastating Category 5 hurricane that impacted Hispaniola in August 2025. It was considered one of the worst natural disasters in Haiti's history.

Of the 9,500+ killed, 9,200+ were in Haiti.

Meteorological history
Fernand formed out of a Cape Verde type tropical wave on August 5, 2025 as Tropical Depression Seven.

Fernand pulled northwest before executing a southwestern turn on August 6, intensifying into a tropical storm in the process.

Modest wind shear blocked Fernand from intensification until August 8, when it became a Category 1 hurricane as it executed a northwestern loop.

Explosive intensification ensued, and Fernand became a major hurricane on August 9. Indications that a dangerous storm was underway became apparent that evening with cloud top temperatures of nearly -120°F across the entire edge of the eye.

Cloud tops reached a record low temperature of -181.6°F early on September 10, which warranted a upgrade to Category 4 intensity. Recon found winds of 133.6 mph late that morning, making Fernand a 135 mph Category 4.

At this point, hurricane warnings were in place across Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The eyewall continued to produce cloud tops of around -140°F into that afternoon, and recon found a wind gust of 156.1 mph shortly after 2 pm EDT on September 10, making the storm a 155 mph Category 4.

Late that evening, Fernand saw a near record low cloud top temperature of -180.3°F, the second coldest cloud top on record, behind the cloud top it had produced that morning. A solid black ring was visible on infrared that evening, making it apparent that Fernand was now a Category 5 hurricane.

Early on August 11, with cloud top temperatures still reaching as low as -130°F, the storm made landfall in Haiti at peak intensity.

The storm considerably weakened, however caused "cataclysmic damage" to thousands of structures. The storm continued to weaken, exiting Haiti on August 12 as a 100 mph Category 2 hurricane. The storm moved just west of the Turks and Caicos Islands on August 12-13, while gradually re-intensifying.

The storm pulled northwest, re-intensifying into a Category 3 hurricane on August 14, before becoming a Category 4 once again on August 15. From here it considerably weakened as it turned northeast, becoming extratropical on August 18.

The remnants of Fernand were absorbed by another remnant low on August 19.

Retirement
In Spring 2026, the WMO retired the name Fernand, this name will never again be used for another Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced by Fernando for use in the 2031 season.