“HAPPY NEW YEAR HHW!!!!! I sure hope this year is better than the last one.” - Me, one year ago exactly
The image you’re seeing above is the planet of Youricane in its final moments. It’s a horrifying sight knowing that there are still people stuck on this planet, watching the end as it happens. But how did we get here? What caused this catastrophe? Let’s go back to where this all began.
LIFESPAN
On August 14, 2025, a disturbance formed off the coast of Milsoopolic, about 200 miles east of the Axi Peninsula. Two days later, the disturbance strengthened into a tropical depression and was numbered 100M. Moving south, 100M took its time to be named, only reaching tropical storm status on August 19 once it had gone significantly farther south. Over the next week or so, Ethan strengthened as it moved northwest, having its first peak intensity as a weak C4 hurricane on August 28. Making a sudden turn to the northeast, Ethan made landfall in far west Milsoopolic as a C1 three days later. It seemed like it was over for Ethan, one of many majors in the Yorkish basin that season, but if you know anything about this game, you know that Ethan has plot armor. A perfectly placed line of other tropical systems brought Ethan right back where it was and fully tropical again by September 7 for a second round.
With its new life, Ethan began a track west, towards the nation of Lazaronia. Ethan strengthened in the warm waters of late summer, reaching a new peak on September 19 as a 165/923 Category 5 hurricane, what was at the time the highest category on the scale. Thankfully, Ethan weakened down to a C3 before landfall late on August 22, but it was still enough to worsen flooding from previous systems, like hurricanes Kenny and Forrest. This part of the story is important to remember, because it heavily foreshadows what is to come.
Again surviving some of the harshest conditions, Ethan's remnants slowly made their way across Lazaronia and Cape York, eventually landing in the unexplored Oblian basin. Ethan stalled once it entered, dropping heavy rainfall along the Cape York and Froni border. Once it moved away, it continued in its favorite direction of straight west, it almost reached major hurricane status a third time, exiting the map as a high-end C2 on October 16. Only one system had ever crossed over to the other side of the map before and it did so as a remnant, meaning whatever conditions are on the other side must be very harsh and unforgiving. Ethan's chances looked slim, but you know what happens next.
While Ethan wasn't present, a key part of its life was. An asteroid known as 331 Plouton was spotted heading straight for Youricane. Many efforts were made by various government and weather agencies across the planet to stop the asteroid, and it seemed successful when the asteroid was blown to bits, but they still came down on October 28 and landed in three key spots in the ocean: the central and western Milsoopolic basin and the Sonoran Strait. All of these will be important to Ethan's life. The world didn't end... yet.
Coming back just in time to witness the asteroid impact, Ethan re-entered the map as a tropical depression on October 26 because of course it did. We have no way of knowing what it did or how strong it was on the in-between side of the map. Ethan absorbed several depressions completely unfazed and reached tropical storm status yet again three days later. Strengthening back to a major by November 5 and a C5 just two days later, there was nothing to stop Ethan now. It had been discovered that Ploutonium, one of the main compounds in asteroid 331 Plouton, had superheating effects and could heat water in the ocean and the clouds. On a recon mission into Ethan on November 15, one aircraft was hit with a decently sized chunk of Ploutonium, which led to the discovery of a chunk of Ploutonium about 13 miles wide flying around the system. This Ploutonium was supercharging Ethan, leading it to be the second known system to break the 200-mph barrier. Ethan kept strengthening to levels that weren't thought to be possible before. Weather agencies like the CTCA, LNHA, and OMSA all flew planes into the system to remove chunks of Ploutonium, and it ended up working. Ethan reached its fifth peak intensity of an incredible 280/831 early on November 19.
Ethan began its long weakening trend including an eyewall replacement cycle after its fifth peak intensity. It weakened significantly down to a weak C4 hurricane by December 3, but still in open waters, it wasn't over yet. Ethan still had about a third of its original supply of Ploutonium. Despite being in the cold near-winter waters, it persisted. It reached C5 again late on December 8, broke the 200-mph barrier again on December 15, and passed its original record of 280 mph on December 20. Ethan was getting so strong that models could not predict it, since pretty much anything could happen at this point. There was a problem though: many flights had entered the system (a practice which would soon be discontinued when Ethan became so strong), and they didn't detect any Ploutonium at all. What could be causing Ethan to strengthen now? With 300 mph looming in the distance, weather centers knew that Category 5 wasn't the right term to describe this monster system, so when Ethan reached that milestone on December 21, the JXCA officially dubbed it a "hypercane." The term had been theorized, but Ethan was the first and only known example of one.
As Ethan became a hypercane, an effect only seen before on Earth became known, called the Shashwat effect. This is where a tropical cyclone becomes so strong that it overrides the steering currents and its eye begins to move somewhat randomly around a certain area. Weather centers needed to think of a way to stop this system. Ethan continued its rapid intensification. Its pressure dropped below 800 mbar on December 22. Ethan moved at a pace of only about 1 mile per hour towards the coast of Lazaronia (that is, if you don't count the Shashwat effect). On December 24, Ethan passed 400 mph, and the JXCA upgraded it even farther to a megacane. It was around this time that a plan was made by the CTCA (or CTAF? I'm confused) to drop nuclear weapons into Ethan. It was an idea that was considered before, especially during the cold war, but never came to fruition as it was considered too dangerous and expensive. Now, however, with a tropical cyclone that could end the world, there's not much to lose. F-35A fighter jets were sent to Ethan, and on December 26, as Ethan broke the 500 mph barrier and reached the category of "infinite storm," the thermonuclear bombs were dropped.
On December 27, the results were published: Ethan had weakened over 100 mph in the last 24 hours. It seemed like it had been done, Ethan finally weakened back down to a megacane, but there was a catch. The heat from the thermonuclear bombs was causing Ethan to strengthen even faster than before, at a rate of over 200 mph per day. The original date for the world's end based on how fast Ethan was strengthening before the bombing was January 3. After the bombing, at was January 1 or 2. The CTAF considered dropping more nukes to weaken it farther, but they needed approval from the CHC, JXCA, and LNHA. While the CHC gave almost immediate approval, the JXCA seemed doubtful, and the LNHA could not respond as they lost signal due to being in C5+ force winds in Lazaronia. After Ethan's rate of intensification slowed after it used up the heat of the thermonuclear bombing, the EMC and LNHA made plans to launch dry ice and liquid nitrogen into the system in hopes of slowing Ethan down by putting it in cooler waters, but we're not entirely sure what happened and neither mission ended up happening. At this point, you know how the story goes. 600 mph, 700 mph, 800 mph, 900 mph as Ethan crept closer and closer to the poor Lazaronian coast, and finally, on December 31, Ethan surpassed 1,000 mph, which means Ethan broke the barrier that put it as the final category on the new scale, a category that had only been thought of in works of fiction and hypothetical scenarios: the Armageddon Storm. That's where we left Ethan on the final update of Youricane. But if that was the final update, we can't let you know what happened in our usual style. So what did happen? What's been going on the past few days? That's what this post is really about - the effects of Ethan.
DECEMBER 31ST
As mentioned in the previous update, if Ethan's pressure dropped down to zero millibars, it would become a black hole. Today is the day that theory was tested.
For each six-hour advisory, I'll start with Ethan's intensity.
December 31, 00:00 UTC - 1,025 mph, 47 mbarThis is where we left Ethan yesterday, as a brand-new Armageddon Storm. This was shocking news to everyone who was watching Ethan's strength, which was pretty much everyone who had been evacuated since it was being broadcast 24/7. If you want more information than is listed here, I recommend you visit yesterday's update.
At this point in time, Ethan had grabbed hold of the last bits of Ploutonium from the Sonoran Strait, yanking them from Poi, which was forced over the equator from Ethan's insane winds. Ethan began a massive jump in its rate of intensification here, which means this is probably about when that Ploutonium reached Ethan's center and started giving it power. Previously, Ethan was strengthening at around 45 mph per advisory. With the Ploutonium now in its circulation, this was bumped up to 65 mph.
Estimated apocalypse: January 1, 12:00 UTC.
December 31, 06:00 UTC - 1,090 mph, 29 mbarThis is the time when it dawns on us that Ethan has been affected by the Ploutonium. Weather centers see that massive spike in intensification and realize that by now, it's far too late. With everyone evacuated, there's no way to remove the Ploutonium from Ethan. It's as if the system is sentient and trying its hardest to strengthen as much as possible to destroy this planet, and now we know that that's exactly what Ethan will do.
Estimated apocalypse: January 1, 04:00 UTC.
December 31, 12:00 UTC - 1,160 mph, 12 mbarOur wind models, which are very far away by now, detect yet another rise in Ethan's intensification, now up from 65 mph to 70 mph, which is double what would be considered rapid intensification happening in a quarter of the time. The end is here. With only an estimated 13 and a half hours left before the weather centers' estimates, people say their goodbyes to all of Youricane. We can't be there in person, but we know there still are people down there. Ethan's red tint begins to glow as its eye becomes more and more like a vacuum, taking in everything around it.
Side note, at this point in time, Ethan is near the same strength as the infamous Armageddon Storm Collin. It would surpass it in the next update.
Estimated apocalypse: January 1, 01:30 UTC.
December 31, 18:00 UTC - 1,240 mph, 2 mbarEthan continues to intensify faster, now up from 70 straight to 80. Ethan is now only two millibars of pressure away from becoming a black hole. From various planets across the universe, the Youricanean people must say goodbye to their homes, their livelihoods, and the memories of this planet. All of us are hoping for a miracle, but we know that there is little to nothing left to hope for. All the possibilities of stopping it are impossible by now. Only an estimated 5 hours are left, which is not nearly enough time for any person or group of people to make any effort to stop it, and by now Ethan is so strong it probably won't be effective at all. The eye of Ethan is no longer a deep black, but has turned white as it begins to suck everything in. From our radar, the brightest flash of light came the moment Ethan made its final landfall in Lazaronia. Some strong steering current ended up pushing it ashore, and the flash was probably the coastline beginning to be devoured. Ethan wasn't a hurricane anymore. It was nearly a black hole. By the next advisory, Youricane might not be a planet anymore.
Estimated apocalypse: December 31, 23:00 UTC.
January 1, 00:00 UTC - 1,330 mph, 0 mbarAt 23:00 UTC, the estimated apocalypse time, Ethan didn't go black hole. Our data still read 1 millibar. Billions of people were on the edge of their seats in the most terrifying hour of their lives, watching to see if Ethan would make it to the new year. There were no celebrations this New Year's Eve, only anticipation for what might happen. Six minutes before the clock struck midnight, the clouds around Ethan's eye were starting to be pulled and collapsing inward. At first, we thought Ethan might be weakening, which would've been the best possible thing to happen. Then we remembered the vacuum effects of Ethan's center as it approached zero millibars. We waited, hoping this meant weakening and not what the data showed, and just as the clock struck midnight, the clouds briefly parted as the instruments for the first time read "0 mbar," and Ethan revealed what was at its core: a black hole just a few miles wide, around the size of its eye, pulling in everything around it. Some gasped, some fainted, yet all knew this was bound to happen. We watched in horror for hours as Ethan the black hole took in the planet we once lived on, the one some still did. The ground and clouds were stretched towards Ethan's eye. By 02:00 UTC you couldn't really tell Ethan was a hurricane, it was just a large circle of clouds. The clouds had stopped spinning completely. The black hole hovered only a few miles above the surface, where Ethan's eye would have been. As of writing this sentence, it's 03:32 UTC. Large chunks of the planet have been broken off and are flying right toward the vacuum. Lazaronia is almost halfway gone already. It's estimated that the process of the black hole absorbing all of the planet will last a few days. There is no picture available at the moment, but I'm sure you can picture it in your head, and I'm sure whatever your picturing is not anywhere near as horrifying as what we see here.
UNEXPLAINED STRENGTHENING
The biggest mystery surrounding Ethan is how it strengthened in the cold December waters without any explanation. This is a mystery we've been trying to figure out for a while now, and it became more difficult to explain as Ethan got stronger and hurricane hunter missions were cancelled. There's one theory that is the only plausible option, which I'll share with you now.
Scientists think that Ethan's unexplained strengthening still had to do with Ploutonium. If you'll remember, Ethan still had a third to a half of its Ploutonium left after it began weakening. They think that given enough time in Ethan's clouds, the Ploutonium interacted with the rainwater Ethan was storing, creating a completely new compound. The compound still had the same properties, allowing Ethan to strengthen, but being completely undetectable with our current Ploutonium detection methods. The new compound was likely much stronger than regular Ploutonium, allowing Ethan to strengthen fast in conditions that wouldn't have normally been favorable for tropical cyclones. The theory doesn't entirely make sense because then the Ploutonium in the oceans would have been a lot more effective than it was, but most of it the Ploutonium was already used up in a month, which was about the time Ethan started unexpectedly getting stronger.
The compound is yet to be named, so if you have any ideas, please comment them. I might use one of your ideas!
LAZARONIA
To end this extremely long post, I want to talk about Lazaronia. For months leading up to Ethan, Lazaronia had been picked on by other tropical cyclones, like Kenny, Forrest, Dabi, and various other systems. These storms all caused major flooding on the Lazaronian coast, but this had happened before. It wasn't too serious of a situation, though it did claim many lives. At its second peak, Ethan seemed the same, but when it returned, you already know that it was catastrophic.
Lazaronians knew that things were going to be extremely bad when Ethan got back up to C5 status earlier in December. It was moving straight for them, after all. As Ethan approached and strengthened to levels never seen before, chaos unfolded as people rushed to leave the country. Tens of millions of people made it out of Lazaronia and to safety in time before the hurricane got too strong. When the CHC and CTCA/CTAF started evacuating people, those who left the country were saved. But with the worsening conditions as Ethan became an infinite storm, they were forced to leave the people who couldn't get out of Lazaronia behind. This was a very tough decision, and the most controversial part of Ethan's life. Sadly, it is what happened.
In this section, I would go over in detail what it was like in Lazaronia as the apocalypse unfolded, but the truth is that we don't know. The LNHA, our only way of communicating with Lazaronia, lost connection with us on the 28th. Even then, what they mentioned was horrifying. 300+ mph wind gusts had torn scars in the soil and ripped trees from the ground. Entire cities were flooded in 40+ foot waves. Homes were completely levelled. How could it get any worse?
Well, we might not know for sure, but we can make estimates. At its landfall in Lazaronia, winds were near 1,240 mph. Simulations show that under these conditions, there would be no grass. No bushes of trees. Nothing would be sticking more than an inch out of the ground, since anything the winds can get a grip on will be ripped out and flung to who knows where. The ground itself would be peeling away. Any loose soil would fly away as well, revealing the bedrock below, which may not even be strong enough to survive. All of this would be covered in waves hundreds of feet tall speeding faster than racecars inland. Anything at an elevation of less than 1,000 feet would likely become part of the ocean. It is physically impossible for any person to survive in those conditions. If anyone was there in those winds, which is extremely unlikely since they would give in to even the winds of a megacane or infinite storm, in even a few seconds they wouldn't look like any living creature anymore.
Since the world of Youricane is coming to an end, we've come up with the final damage totals. Since all of Youricane was or is going to be destroyed, the damages of Ethan are the combined GDP of all of Youricane, which comes out to roughly $45.5 trillion. Combining the 82 fatalities recorded by December 25 with the 18,000 people who chose to stay behind and the millions who were trapped in Lazaronia, Ethan's estimated death toll is at (and do note that this is not an exact number) >16,400,000 people. It's a much lower number than what could have happened, but that's still 16 million people. For reference, that's about half the population of Texas in one natural disaster, by far the worst natural disaster that we know of. The JXCA has retired the name Ethan from use, the only name it will be retiring from the NHEM season this year. There will be no replacement name.
It's an indescribable feeling knowing that a hurricane with winds over 1,000 mph was destroying an entire planet, and that there were people on that planet who saw it as it unfolded. They had no way to escape; they were stuck there, helpless. Those people had families, friends, jobs, personalities, and feelings. Most people knew at least one person from Lazaronia. And we'll never know what happened. Nobody will ever know what it was truly like down there because nobody there to experience it has any way of telling us in time, before they are consumed by the black hole that Ethan became.
There are much better ways this could have gone. The invest that became Ethan could have never formed. Ethan's remnants might not have been carried back down to the Hurrican Ocean or across Cape York when they dissipated. 331 Plouton could have never impacted Youricane. But this is just how things went. This is what we ended up with. We were forced to watch as our homes are destroyed with no way to stop it. Everything will be destroyed eventually, this just happened sooner than we expected. We could have stopped it in so many ways, but regrettably, it still happened. Everything is in the past now, so we are left with a question as everything disappears: When everything, all that we knew and loved is gone, we don't have to move on, but how do we keep going with what we have left?
Thank you for reading.
- JX
