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Timeline of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual hurricane season in the north Atlantic Ocean. It was an above-average season for tropical cyclones for the third consecutive year. Though the season officially began on June 1, 2018 and ended November 30, 2018, dates adopted by convention and historically describe the period during each year when most tropical cyclones form, it effectively started with the formation of Tropical Storm Alberto on May 25. The season's final storm, Hurricane Oscar, dissipated on October 31. The year produced sixteen tropical depressions, all but one of which further intensified into named tropical storms. Of the fifteen named storms, eight developed into hurricanes, and two further intensified into major hurricanes, which are rated Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale. These two major hurricanes contributed to a majority of the season's severe destruction and loss of life, mainly in the United States.

Hurricane Florence formed near Cabo Verde on August 31, steered toward the west-northwest with little exception by a large area of high pressure to its north. The cyclone strengthened amid favorable environmental factors, becoming a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of at its peak, but weakening occurred before Florence struck the coastline of North Carolina near Wrightsville Beach on September 14, with winds of . Florence dealt a devastating blow to the Carolinas as it meandered across the region. Catastrophic, record-breaking flooding contributed to a majority of the storm's $24 billion in damage and 52 deaths, though significant storm surge along the coastline as well as an inland tornado outbreak caused severe damage as well. In early October, Hurricane Michael formed in the western Caribbean Sea, resulting in significant flooding across Central America and Cuba. However, the majority of the storm's impact was felt in the Florida Panhandle, where Michael struck the coastline near Mexico Beach as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of . This constituted the first landfall of a Category 5 hurricane in the United States since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and only the fifth in recorded history, alongside "Labor Day", Camille, and "Okeechobee". In addition, Michael became the third deepest by atmospheric pressure, the fourth strongest by maximum winds, and the latest Category 5 hurricane to strike the United States on record. Michael killed 74 people and caused $25 billion in damage.

This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.

The time stamp for each event is first stated using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the 24-hour clock where 00:00 = midnight UTC. The NHC uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) prior to 2020 were: Atlantic, Eastern, and Central. In this timeline, the respective area time is included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (miles, or kilometers), following National Hurricane Center practice. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest millibar and nearest hundredth of an inch of mercury.

Timeline

May

May 25

May 26

  • 18:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) at The subtropical depression intensifies into Subtropical Storm Alberto roughly north-northwest of the western tip of Cuba.

May 28

  • 00:00 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT May 27) at Subtropical Storm Alberto transitions to a tropical storm and concurrently attains maximum sustained winds of approximately south-southwest of Apalachicola, Florida.
  • 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Storm Alberto attains its minimum atmospheric pressure of 990 mbar (hPa; 29.24 inHg) about southwest of Apalachicola, Florida.
  • 21:00 UTC (4:00 p.m. CDT) at Tropical Storm Alberto makes landfall near the Bay County–Walton County, Florida line, with winds of .

May 29

  • 00:00 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT May 28) at Tropical Storm Alberto weakens to a tropical depression roughly southwest of Dothan, Alabama.

May 31

  • 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Alberto degenerates to a non-convective remnant area of low pressure approximately west of Saginaw, Michigan.

June

June 1

  • The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins.
  • No tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean during the month of June.

July

July 4

  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Depression Two develops from an area of low pressure about west-southwest of Cabo Verde.

July 5

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST July 4) at Tropical Depression Two intensifies into Tropical Storm Beryl roughly east-southeast of Barbados.

July 6

  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Beryl rapidly intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane, simultaneously attaining its peak intensity with winds of and a pressure of , approximately southeast of Barbados.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT) at Tropical Depression Three forms about south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

July 7

  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Hurricane Beryl weakens to a tropical storm roughly east-southeast of Barbados.

July 8

  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EDT) at Tropical Depression Three intensifies into Tropical Storm Chris approximately south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Beryl degenerates to a tropical wave about northeast of Barbados.

July 10

  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT) at Tropical Storm Chris intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane roughly southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

July 11

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT July 10) at Hurricane Chris rapidly intensifies into a Category 2 hurricane and simultaneously attains its peak intensity with winds of and a pressure of approximately east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Hurricane Chris weakens to a Category 1 hurricane about northwest of Bermuda.

July 12

  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Hurricane Chris weakens to a tropical storm roughly southwest of Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Chris transitions into an extratropical cyclone approximately south of Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

July 14

  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at The remnants of Beryl regenerate into a subtropical storm about northwest of Bermuda.

July 16

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST July 15) at Subtropical Storm Beryl degenerates to a remnant low roughly north of Bermuda.

August

August 7

  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) at Subtropical Storm Debby develops approximately west of the westernmost Azores.

August 8

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST August 7) at Subtropical Storm Debby transitions into a tropical storm about west of the westernmost Azores.

August 9

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST August 8) at Tropical Storm Debby attains its peak intensity with winds of and a pressure of roughly southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Debby degenerates to a remnant low approximately east-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

August 15

  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) at Subtropical Depression Five develops about southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Subtropical Depression Five intensifies into Subtropical Storm Ernesto roughly southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

August 16

  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Subtropical Storm Ernesto attains peak winds of approximately southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at  Ã¢Â€Â“ Subtropical Storm Ernesto transitions into a tropical storm about southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

August 17

  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Ernesto attains a minimum pressure of roughly east-northeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

August 18

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST August 17) at Tropical Storm Ernesto degenerates to a remnant low approximately north-northeast of the Azores.

August 31

  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at &Tropical Depression Six develops about southeast of Santiago, Cabo Verde.

September

September 1

  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Depression Six intensifies into Tropical Storm Florence roughly west-southwest of the southernmost Cabo Verde archipelago.

September 3

  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EDT) at Tropical Depression Seven develops approximately southeast of Key Largo, Florida.
  • 09:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. EDT) at Tropical Depression Seven intensifies into Tropical Storm Gordon about southeast of Tavernier, Florida.
  • 11:15 UTC (7:15 a.m. EDT) at Tropical Storm Gordon makes its first landfall near Tavernier, Florida, with winds of .

September 4

  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Florence intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane roughly east-northeast of the Lesser Antilles.

September 5

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 4) at Hurricane Florence intensifies into a Category 2 hurricane approximately east-northeast of the Lesser Antilles.
  • 03:15 UTC (10:15 p.m. CDT September 4) at Tropical Storm Gordon attains its peak intensity with winds of and a pressure of , simultaneously making its second and final landfall just west of the Alabama–Mississippi border.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Hurricane Florence rapidly intensifies into a Category 3 hurricane about northeast of the Lesser Antilles.
  • 12:00 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Storm Gordon weakens to a tropical depression roughly southeast of Jackson, Mississippi.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Hurricane Florence rapidly intensifies into a Category 4 hurricane approximately east-southeast of Bermuda.

September 6

  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) at Hurricane Florence weakens to a Category 3 hurricane about southeast of Bermuda.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Hurricane Florence weakens to a Category 2 hurricane roughly southeast of Bermuda.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Hurricane Florence weakens to a Category 1 hurricane approximately southeast of Bermuda.
  • 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Gordon degenerates to a remnant area of low pressure about southeast of Little Rock, Arkansas.

September 7

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 6) at Hurricane Florence weakens to a tropical storm roughly southeast of Bermuda.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Depression Eight develops approximately west of Banjul, The Gambia.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Depression Nine develops about west of Cabo Verde.

September 8

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 7) at Tropical Depression Eight intensifies into Tropical Storm Helene roughly east-southeast of Praia, Cabo Verde.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Depression Nine intensifies into Tropical Storm Isaac approximately west of Cabo Verde.

September 9

  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Florence re-intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane about south-southeast of Bermuda.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Helene intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane roughly south-southwest of Brava, Cabo Verde.

September 10

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 9) at Tropical Storm Isaac intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane, attaining its peak intensity with winds of and a pressure of , approximately west of Cabo Verde.
  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) at Hurricane Florence re-intensifies into a Category 2 hurricane about south-southeast of Bermuda.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Hurricane Florence re-intensifies into a Category 3 hurricane roughly south-southeast of Bermuda.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Hurricane Helene intensifies into a Category 2 hurricane approximately west of Praia, Cabo Verde.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at  Ã¢Â€Â“ Hurricane Florence re-intensifies into a Category 4 hurricane about south-southeast of Bermuda.

September 11

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 10) at Hurricane Helene attains peak winds of roughly west of Praia, Cabo Verde.
  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 10) at Hurricane Isaac weakens to a tropical storm approximately west of Cabo Verde.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Hurricane Helene attains a minimum pressure of about west-northwest of Praia, Cabo Verde.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) at Hurricane Florence attains its peak intensity with winds of and a pressure of roughly east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina.

September 12

  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) at Hurricane Helene weakens to a Category 1 hurricane approximately west-northwest of Praia, Cabo Verde.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Subtropical Storm Joyce develops about southwest of the Azores.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) at Hurricane Florence weakens to a Category 3 hurricane roughly southeast of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

September 13

  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT) at Hurricane Florence weakens to a Category 2 hurricane approximately southeast of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Hurricane Helene weakens to a tropical storm about northwest of Praia, Cabo Verde.

September 14

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 13) at Subtropical Storm Joyce transitions into a tropical storm roughly southwest of the Azores.
  • 11:15 UTC (7:15 a.m. EDT) at Hurricane Florence weakens to a Category 1 hurricane while making landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, with winds of .

September 15

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT September 14) at Hurricane Florence weakens to a tropical storm approximately northwest of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 14) at Tropical Storm Isaac weakens to a tropical depression about south-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 14)Tropical Storm Joyce attains its peak intensity with winds of and a pressure of roughly south-southwest of the Azores.
  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST)Tropical Depression Isaac dissipates approximately south-southwest of the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico.

September 16

  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Helene transitions into an extratropical cyclone about north of the Azores.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Joyce weakens to a tropical depression roughly south-southwest of the Azores.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) at Tropical Storm Florence weakens to a tropical depression approximately south-southeast of Greenwood, South Carolina.

September 17

  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT) at Tropical Depression Florence transitions into an extratropical cyclone about northeast of Huntington, West Virginia.

September 19

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 18) at Tropical Depression Joyce degenerates to a remnant area of low pressure roughly south of the Azores.

September 21

  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at  Ã¢Â€Â“ Tropical Depression Eleven develops and attains peak winds of approximately east of Barbados.

September 22

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST) at Tropical Depression Eleven attains a minimum pressure of about east of Barbados.
  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Depression Twelve develops roughly south-southeast of Cabo Verde.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Depression Twelve intensifies into Tropical Storm Kirk approximately south of Praia, Cabo Verde.

September 23

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 22)Tropical Depression Eleven dissipates about east of the Lesser Antilles.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Kirk degenerates to a tropical wave roughly southwest of Praia, Cabo Verde.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Subtropical Storm Leslie develops approximately southwest of the Azores.

September 25

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 24) at Subtropical Storm Leslie weakens to a subtropical depression about southwest of the Azores.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Subtropical Depression Leslie transitions into an extratropical cyclone roughly southwest of the Azores.

September 26

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 25) at The remnants of Kirk regenerate into a tropical storm approximately east-southeast of Barbados.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at &Tropical Storm Kirk attains peak winds of about east-southeast of Barbados.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Kirk attains a minimum pressure of roughly east-southeast of Barbados.

September 28

  • 00:30 UTC (8:30 p.m. AST September 27) at Tropical Storm Kirk makes landfall on Saint Lucia, with winds of .
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at The remnants of Leslie regenerate into a subtropical storm approximately southwest of the Azores.

September 29

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST September 28)Tropical Storm Kirk degenerates to a tropical wave a few hundred miles south of the United States Virgin Islands.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Subtropical Storm Leslie transitions into a tropical storm about southwest of the Azores.

October

October 3

  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Leslie intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane roughly east-southeast of Bermuda.

October 4

  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Hurricane Leslie weakens to a tropical storm approximately east of Bermuda.

October 7

  • 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Fourteen develops about south of Cozumel.
  • 12:00 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Depression Fourteen intensifies into Tropical Storm Michael roughly south-southeast of Cozumel.

October 8

  • 12:00 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) at Tropical Storm Michael intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane approximately south of the western tip of Cuba.

October 9

  • 00:00 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT October 8) at Hurricane Michael intensifies into a Category 2 hurricane about southwest of Key West, Florida.
  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Depression Fifteen develops roughly southwest of Praia, Cabo Verde.
  • 12:00 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Depression Fifteen intensifies into Tropical Storm Nadine approximately southwest of Praia, Cabo Verde.
  • 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) at Hurricane Michael intensifies into a Category 3 hurricane about southwest of Tampa, Florida.

October 10

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST October 9) at Tropical Storm Leslie re-intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane roughly east of Bermuda.
  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Nadine attains its peak intensity with winds of and a minimum pressure of approximately southwest of Praia, Cabo Verde.
  • 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) at Hurricane Michael intensifies into a Category 4 hurricane about southwest of Tallahassee, Florida.
  • 17:30 UTC (12:30 p.m. CDT) at Hurricane Michael intensifies into a Category 5 hurricane and simultaneously attains its peak intensity with maximum winds of and a minimum pressure of . At this time, the powerful cyclone also makes landfall near Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, becoming the fourth strongest, third deepest, and latest Category 5 hurricane to strike the United States in recorded history.
  • 18:00 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) at Hurricane Michael weakens to a Category 4 hurricane roughly northeast of Panama City, Florida.

October 11

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT October 10) at Hurricane Michael rapidly weakens to a Category 1 hurricane approximately west-southwest of Albany, Georgia.
  • 06:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EDT) at Hurricane Michael weakens to a tropical storm about east of Macon, Georgia.

October 12

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST October 11) at Hurricane Leslie attains its peak intensity with maximum winds of and a minimum pressure of roughly southwest of the Azores.
  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT October 11) at Tropical Storm Michael transitions into an extratropical cyclone approximately southwest of Emporia, Virginia.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Nadine weakens to a tropical depression about west of Praia, Cabo Verde.

October 13

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST October 12)Tropical Depression Nadine degenerates to a tropical wave roughly west of Cabo Verde.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Hurricane Leslie transitions into an extratropical cyclone approximately west-northwest of Lisbon, Portugal.

October 26

  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Subtropical Storm Oscar develops about south-southwest of the Azores.

October 27

  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Subtropical Storm Oscar transitions into a tropical storm roughly southwest of the Azores.

October 28

  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Tropical Storm Oscar intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane approximately southwest of the Azores.

October 29

  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Hurricane Oscar intensifies into a Category 2 hurricane about southeast of Bermuda.

October 30

  • 00:00 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST October 29) at Hurricane Oscar attains its peak intensity with winds of and a minimum pressure of roughly southeast of Bermuda.
  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Hurricane Oscar weakens to a Category 1 hurricane approximately east-southeast of Bermuda.

October 31

  • 18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) at Hurricane Oscar transitions into an extratropical cyclone about northeast of Bermuda.

November

  • No tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean during the month of November.

November 30

  • The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends.

See also

References

External links