| Category 5 {{{Type}}} (SSHS) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Hurricane Gracie 15 minutes from landfall | |
| Formed | November 23rd |
| Dissipated | December 6th |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 295 km/h (185 mph) Gusts: 335 km/h (205 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 905 hPa (mbar) |
| Fatalities | 386 |
| Damage | $14 billion (2018 USD) |
| Areas affected | Finlandia, Eastern FInlandia, Southeastern Finlandia, Anor's Island, South Western Finlandia |
| Part of the 2018 Eastern Ocean Hurricane Season | |
Gracie was a powerful category 5 hurricane that made landfall at it's peak of 185 mph.
Formation and Early Stages[]
On November 18th, the FCC started to track an intense area of low pressure that had formed in the MDR. At this time, many of the models has been saying that this low wouldn't be very strong at all, as for it would move northward into oddly cool waters and some moderate mid-level shear. However, an area of high pressure formed and pushed the low westward, instead of the predicted northward. On November 23rd, the low developed into Tropical storm "Gracie". Gracie was originally expected to be at category 2 at it's strongest, but they forecasters were very wrong.
Hurricane Stages and Intensification[]
On November 25th, Gracie became a hurricane. At this point, the FCC considered the option of rapid intensification. The official forecast for Gracie showed a Category 4 storm at landfall, peaking at 145 mph.