Talk:2020 Atlantic hurricane season/Link Archiver/1
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The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is an ongoing tropical cyclone season which has featured tropical cyclone formation at a record-breaking rate. So far, there have been a total of 27 tropical or subtropical cyclones, 26 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes.[nb 1] With 26 named storms, it is the second most active Atlantic hurricane season on record, behind only the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It is also only the second tropical cyclone season to feature the Greek letter storm naming system, with the other season also being 2005. The season officially started on June 1 and will officially end on November 30; however, formation of tropical cyclones is possible at any time, as illustrated by the formations of tropical storms Arthur and Bertha, on May 16 and 27, respectively. This marked the record sixth consecutive year with pre-season systems. During the season, Tropical Storm Cristobal and 22 later systems have broken the record for the earliest formation by storm number. Of the 26 named storms, 10 made landfall in the contiguous United States, breaking the record of nine set in 1916. In addition, the season is the first to see seven named tropical cyclones make landfall in the continental United States before September.[2][3] This activity has been fueled by an ongoing La Niña, which developed during the summer months of 2020.
2020 Atlantic hurricane season/Link Archiver/1 | |
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![]() Season summary map | |
Seasonal boundaries | |
First system formed | May 16, 2020 |
Last system dissipated | Season ongoing |
Strongest storm | |
Name | Laura |
• Maximum winds | 150 mph (240 km/h) (1-minute sustained) |
• Lowest pressure | 937 mbar (hPa; 27.67 inHg) |
Seasonal statistics | |
Total depressions | 27 |
Total storms | 26 |
Hurricanes | 10 |
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+) | 4 |
Total fatalities | 151 total |
Total damage | > $27.873 billion (2020 USD) |
Related articles | |
Atlantic hurricane seasons 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 |
In early June, Cristobal caused 15 deaths and $665 million in damage across Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States.[nb 2] In July, Fay brought gusty winds across Delaware, New Jersey, and Coastal New York, resulting in $350 million in damage and six deaths. Hanna, the season's first hurricane, made landfall in South Texas as a Category 1, leaving at least $875 million in damage. Isaias, the second hurricane of the season, made landfall in The Bahamas and North Carolina, both times as a Category 1 hurricane, and brought widespread power outages and a destructive tornado outbreak to the Eastern United States, causing an overall $4.725 billion in damage.
In August, Laura became the strongest tropical cyclone on record in terms of wind speed to make landfall in Louisiana, alongside the 1856 Last Island hurricane.[4] Overall, Laura caused at least $14.1 billion in damage and 77 deaths. September was the most active month on record in the Atlantic, with ten named storms. Hurricane Nana impacted Central America, destroying many acres of banana crop. Later, Hurricane Paulette made landfall in Bermuda, while Hurricane Sally severely impacted the Southeastern United States. A massive Hurricane Teddy made its way to Atlantic Canada, making landfall as an extratropical cyclone, while also becoming the fourth largest tropical cyclone by gale-force winds on record. By mid-September, the active Atlantic spawned a brief subtropical storm, Alpha, that made an unprecedented landfall in Portugal after becoming the easternmost-forming (sub)tropical cyclone in the North Atlantic basin on record. Tropical Storm Beta formed in the Gulf of Mexico, affecting Texas and Louisiana. With 10 (sub)tropical storms, September 2020 was the most active month on record.
In October, Gamma struck Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Hurricane Delta then impacted a large swath of the Western Caribbean while also becoming the season's third major hurricane. Delta made landfall in the Yucatán and then in Louisiana, becoming the 10th storm to strike the continental U.S. this season. Hurricane Epsilon formed in mid-October southeast of Bermuda and grew into the season's 4th major hurricane.
Early on, officials in the United States expressed concerns the hurricane season could potentially exacerbate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for U.S. coastal residents.[5][6] As expressed in an op-ed of the Journal of the American Medical Association, "there exists an inherent incompatibility between strategies for population protection from hurricane hazards: evacuation and sheltering (i.e., transporting and gathering people together in groups)," and "effective approaches to slow the spread of COVID-19: physical distancing and stay-at-home orders (i.e., separating and keeping people apart)."[7]