| Category 4 hurricane (SSHWS) | |
 | |
| Duration | September 12 – September 23 |
|---|---|
| Peak intensity | 145 mph (230 km/h) (1-min) 940 mbar (hPa) |
Hurricane Tony was the deadliest storm of the 2030 Atlantic Hurricane Season, as well as one of the deadliest in history. Tony killed around 2,300 people. Tony was also notable for being a very large storm, similar to that of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which is why many dub it Superstorm Tony. And, let's all not forget about the 2060 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Meteorological History[]
The Track of Hurricane Tony.
Formation[]
A tropical wave came in from Africa on September 8, and created 2 low pressure areas, one of these moved south, which would become Tony. The other moved north and became Valerie. This low pressure area entered the Caribbean, and became a Depression on September 12. The depression quickly organized, and was named Tony on September 13. Tony then moved northwest, and an eye developed on September 16, prompting an increase to hurricane status. Tony was forecast to peak as a C2 and make landfall in Florida, but that did not happen.
Rapid Intensification[]
Tony began to rapidly intensify on September 18, and became a Category 3 major hurricane later that day. It would however defy the forecast and peak as a C4. The NHC then noticed how large Tony actually was. It was almost covering the entire gulf of Mexico. And they saw a nearby storm system that could possible merge with Tony. On September 19, these two storms merged, and Tony began to be referred to as a Superstorm that day. Even before landfall, the huge storm blasted the entire gulf coast with powerful rainfall and wind. But that was barely anything compared to what Tony would do upon landfall.
A rendering of Tony in the Gulf.
Landfall, and dissipation[]
Tony made landfall as a C3 hurricane near Galveston on September 20. It maintained intensity for about 6 hours onshore, causing devastation throughout Texas, but mainly Galveston, and it hit Louisiana as well. Tony was the worst hurricane to ever hit Texas, overshadowing Ike from 2008. Tony brought powerful storm surge, flooding 30% of the entire state in about 4 feet of water. Finally, Tony began to weaken, and it dissipated in northern Texas on September 23.
Impact[]
Tony was one of the strongest storms to ever impact the Gulf coast. And it hit Texas very hard, causing 1,800 of the recorded 2,300 fatalities.
Caribbean[]
Mostly, Tony was fairly weak in the Caribbean. Tony did impact Cuba and Grand Cayman as a minimal Hurricane, and it resulted in 5 fatalities, and minimal damage.
Texas[]
Tony completely blasted Texas, causing huge amounts of rainfall and storm surge, as well as rainfall. Several tall buildings collapsed under the pressure, and a few houses were carried out to sea by the storm surge. Those that stayed on land were demolished almost completely. Tony also was responsible for closing the harbor of Galveston, forcing 2 cruise ships, Carnival Breeze and Liberty of the Seas, to dock in Houston instead. The city of Galveston was destroyed, and Houston had suffered greatly. Over 1,800 fatalities and $45 billion were recorded in Texas alone.
Louisiana[]
New Orleans dealt with the outer winds of Tony, receiving 85-120 mph winds. It wasn't as bad as Katrina, but it did cause some storm surge, and some houses were severely damaged. A cable toppled and crushed a car which caused a massive power outage. Overall, Louisiana reported 80 deaths and $2 billion in damage.
Retirement[]
Due to it's impact, the name Tony was retired, and was replaced with Toby for the 2036 season.