Board Thread:Real-Time hurricane tracking/@comment-36110106-20181013225419

Hurricane Michael was the Strongest Hurricane for all the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane. Life of the Storm:

Early on October 2, the NHC began monitoring a broad area of low pressure that had developed over the southwestern Caribbean Sea.[141]  While strong upper-level winds initially inhibited development, the disturbance gradually became better organized as it drifted generally northward and then eastward toward the Yucatán Peninsula. On October 6, the system became sufficiently organized to be declared a potential tropical cyclone, and the NHC initiated advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone Fourteen.[142] [143]  Early on the next morning, the system organized into a tropical depression,[144]  before intensifying into Tropical Storm Michael several hours later.[145] Michael quickly became a hurricane around midday on October 8 as a result of rapid intensification.[146]  At 21:00 UTC on October 9, while approaching the Gulf Coast, Michael strengthened into a major hurricane with winds reaching 120 mph, making it the second major hurricane of the season.[147]  Despite the NHC forecasting the hurricane to make landfall with winds of 125 mph, data from Hurricane Hunters indicated that Michael continued to rapidly intensify, becoming a Category 4 at 6:00 UTC on October 10 with winds of 130 mph.[148]  At 18:00 UTC on October 10, Michael made landfall with sustained winds of 155 miles per hour (250 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 919 millibars (27.1 inHg), becoming the strongest storm of the season and also the third-strongest landfalling hurricane in the U.S. on record, in terms of central pressure.[149]  After crossing through the southeastern United States, Michael started restrengthening early on October 12 as a result of baroclinic forcing; however, the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone soon afterward.[150]

The combined effects of the precursor low to Michael and a disturbance over the Pacific Ocean caused significant flooding across Central America.[151]  At least nine fatalities occurred: five in Honduras,[152]  three in Nicaragua, and one in El Salvador. Nearly 2,000 homes in Nicaragua suffered damage and 1,115 people evacuated. A total of 253 and 180 homes were damaged in El Salvador and Honduras, respectively.[151]  More than 22,700 people were directly affected throughout the three countries.[152]  Damage estimates are believed to be at least $8 billion as of October 12 