| Category 3 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
 Hurricane Nigel approaching Nicaragua at peak intensity on October 12 | |
| Formed | October 8, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | October 14, 2023 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 115 mph (185 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 969 mbar (hPa); 28.61 inHg |
| Fatalities | 52 total |
| Damage | $784 million (2023 USD) |
| Areas affected | Hispaniola, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador |
| Part of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Nigel was a Category 3 major hurricane that caused significant impacts in Central America in October 2022. The fourteenth named storm, ninth hurricane, and fourth major hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, Nigel originated from a tropical low south of the Dominican Republic that quickly developed into a tropical depression on October 8. On the next day, it became a tropical storm as it headed southwest. Gradual intensification further ensued, and it became a hurricane on October 11. As it drew closer toward Nicaragua, Nigel rapidly strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane on October 12 before making landfall a few hours later. The weakening storm traveled inland in Central America toward Honduras and El Salvador where it degenerated into a remnant low on October 14. Its remnants dissipated later that day without ever emerging into the Pacific Ocean.
Meteorological history[]
Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Tropical storm (39–54 mph, 63–87 km/h)
Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
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Extratropical cyclone / remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression