Part of the 2046 Atlantic Hurricane Season (LckyTUBA's Version)
Overview[]
| Category 7 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
  | |
| Duration | September 4 – September 26 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 230 mph (370 km/h) (1-min) 848 mbar (hPa) |
Hurricane Alpha was a record-breaking, catastrophic storm that wreaked havoc throughout the Caribbean and decimated parts of the Gulf Coast in September and broke worldwide records for intensity and wind speed.
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Meteorological history[]
Formation and intensification[]
A vigorous tropical wave formed into a tropical storm on the afternoon of September 4. Tropical Storm Alpha traveled west, strengthening quickly over favorable conditions into a Category 1 on the evening of September 6. By the afternoon of September 8, Alpha had strengthened into a major hurricane, and continue to strengthen over 32-33 C waters. Early in the morning on September 12, Alpha attained Category 5 status, maintaining that strength till that evening, weakening back to a Category 4 as it started an eyewall replacement cycle. On the following morning, Alpha crossed the Windward Islands as a Category 4 and weakened to a Category 3 as it completed its eyewall replacement cycle after entering the Caribbean. During the evening hours of September 13, Alpha restrengthened to a Category 4, and by the following afternoon, conditions had become conducive for rapid intensification as Alpha was again upgraded to a Category 5.
Peak intensity[]
On the evening of September 15, recon determined that Alpha had 195 mph winds, and was designated as the first Category 6 in 6 years. Alarmingly, there was still virtually no wind shear and 34-35 C SSTs in the western Caribbean, and Alpha continued to strengthen even further. Late in the morning on September 17, Alpha was found to have 230 mph winds and a minimal pressure of 851 mbar, and was upgraded to the first ever Category 7. Analysis showed that at this point, Alpha was moving over SSTs of 35 C, without any outside wind shear from preventing it from reaching its record intensity that afternoon. Alpha peaked south-southwest of Jamaica on the afternoon of September 17 with maximum sustained winds of 230 mph and a minimum central pressure of 848 mbar. Alpha began to weaken due to upwelling of cool waters below the surface, weakening back to a Category 6 that evening. During the morning on September 18, Alpha began another eyewall replacement cycle, and Alpha weakened to a Category 5. Alpha continued weakening until the afternoon of September 19, dipping down into Category 4 status through the evening, after which Alpha began to restrengthen again.
Secondary peak and landfall[]
Alpha regained Category 5 intensity early the following morning, and reached a tertiary peak as a minimal 195 mph Category 6 during the afternoon and evening of September 21. After weakening back to a 190 mph Category 5 over the Gulf of Mexico that night, Alpha restrengthened to a Category 6 the following afternoon as it tracked towards the Gulf Coast. Alpha unexpectedly stalled on the evening of the 22nd for 6 hours before landfall while interacting with a system to the south, which resulted in a later landfall. During the afternoon of September 23, Alpha made its historic landfall in southeastern Louisiana as a large 195 mph, 864 mbar Category 6 hurricane. Alpha quickly weakened as it travelled inland, and by the evening advisory of September 23, its winds had dropped to 140 mph after passing directly over New Orleans as a 160 mph Category 5. Alpha continued to weaken overnight, and by the advisory the following morning, Alpha was a 75 mph Category 1, and had begun extratropical transition. On the afternoon of September 24, Alpha had weakened to a 60 mph tropical storm, and became extratropical that evening. Alpha began to restrengthen that night due to baroclinic forcing. Alpha restrengthened to a Category 1 equivalent extratropical cyclone from the evening of September 25 through the following afternoon. On the evening of September 26, Alpha was finally absorbed into a frontal system.
Alpha was the first ever Category 7 hurricane, and no other storm would reach Category 7 status until 2060.
Impacts[]
Alpha had catastrophic impacts across much of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, although the worst of the impacts were felt in western Cuba, the Yucatan, and especially Honduras and the Gulf Coast. Fatalities from Alpha were staggering, with death tolls reaching 13 in Martinique, 8 in St. Lucia, 431 in Honduras, 59 in Mexico, 7 in Cuba, and 11,482 confirmed in the United States. Over 9,000 of the deaths in the United States occurred in New Orleans alone. Virtually all structures in the New Orleans area were leveled, while structures hundreds of miles inland still faced significant damage. The 33 foot storm surge from Alpha topped nearly all the levees in New Orleans, sending a wall of water through the other side and flooding 90% of New Orleans. The city faced a cleanup that stretched on for over two decades.
In total, Alpha caused $360 billion in damage, with the official death toll at 12,000.