Although not an El Niño or La Niña year, 2008 is the second most destructive season on record, behind only the 2005 season, with up to $54 billion in damage (2008 USD). The season began far more actively than normal. 4 storms formed before the start of August alone, and the season also had the earliest known date for 3 storms to be active on the same day: Hurricane Bertha, and Tropical Storms Cristobal and Dolly were all active on July 20, 2008 and was one of only nine seasons on record to have a major hurricane form before August. This is also the first year four or more Category 4 storms have formed in a single year since 2005, which had 5, and was one of only 7 Atlantic seasons to feature a major hurricane in November.
It has also been particularly devastating for Haiti, where over 800 people were killed by four consecutive tropical cyclones (Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike) in August and September. Hurricane Ike was the most destructive storm of the season, as well as the strongest, devastating Cuba as a major hurricane and later making landfall near Galveston, Texas at Category 2 (nearly Category 3) intensity. It caused a particularly devastating storm surge along the western Gulf Coast United States due to in part to its large size. Hurricane Hanna was the deadliest storm of the season, killing 537 people, mostly in Haiti. Hurricane Gustav was another very destructive storm, causing up to $20 billion in damage to Haiti, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, and the U.S. Hurricane Dolly caused up to $1.5 billion in damage to south Texas and northeastern Mexico. Hurricane Bertha was an early season Cape Verde-type hurricane that became the longest lived pre-August Atlantic tropical cyclone on record, though it caused no deaths and only minor damage.
Other notable storms this year include Tropical Storm Arthur, which marked the first recorded time the Atlantic saw a named storm form in May in consecutive years, Tropical Storm Fay, which became the first Atlantic tropical cyclone to make landfall on the same U.S. state on 4 separate occasions; Tropical Storm Marco, believed to be the smallest tropical cyclone ever recorded, Hurricane Omar, a powerful late-season major hurricane which caused moderate damage to the ABC islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands in mid-October; and Hurricane Paloma, which became the second strongest November hurricane in recorded history and caused up to $1.4 billion in damage to the Cayman Islands and Cuba. 2008 is also the only season in recorded history to feature a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) in every month from July through November.
Storms
Tropical Storm Arthur formed near the Belize coast late on May 30, developing out of the interaction between a tropical wave and the remnants of Tropical Storm Alma, and made landfall on Belize on May 31. The system traversed the Yucatán Peninsula slowly and dissipated inland early on June 2. When Arthur made landfall on Belize it caused an estimated US$78 million worth of damage and killed 9 people, 5 of them directly.
Arthur is the first reported tropical storm to form in May since Tropical Storm Arlene in 1981. Other systems have formed, but were subtropical (such as Andrea in 2007). Given Arthur's very short lifespan, Jeff Masters questions whether it would have been reported and named in the years prior to today's technology. The formation of Arthur also marks the first time that a named storm formed in May for two consecutive years.
Hurricane BerthaCategory 3 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration July 3—July 20
Intensity 125 mph (205 km/h) (1-min), 952 mbar (hPa)
Main article: Hurricane Bertha (2008)
Early on July 1, a strong and large tropical wave emerged off the coast of Africa.[9] By early the next day, a surface low developed and the wave became better organized. The National Hurricane Center upgraded the system to Tropical Depression Two in the morning hours of July 3 after the system was able to maintain convection over its center for at least 12 hours. The depression organized further and developed two distinct bands of convection. Six hours after becoming a depression, it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Bertha, the second named storm of the season. The National Hurricane Center noted that this tropical cyclone was remarkably forecast up to a week in advance by many global computer models.
After a bout of strengthening on July 6, Bertha was upgraded to a hurricane early on July 7 as satellite and microwave imagery indicated an eye feature had formed. It continued to strengthen that morning. Rapid intensification continued that afternoon and Bertha strengthened into a major hurricane with 125 mph (205 km/h) winds and a well-defined eye. The strengthening trend abated early on July 8, due to wind shear, and Bertha rapidly weakened back to a Category 1 hurricane that afternoon.
Bertha again began to rapidly intensify on July 9 as a new eye had formed and the system became more symmetrical. The NHC upgraded Bertha to a category two with winds of 105 mph (170 km/h) and stated that Bertha could intensify further to major hurricane status again, but instead weakened into an 85 mph (135 km/h) Category 1 hurricane. On July 12, Bertha slowed in movement, becoming almost stationary and by July 13 this slow movement weakened the storm to tropical storm strength. The storm brought rain and tropical storm-force winds to Bermuda on July 14, but no damage was reported. After slowly meandering to the east and then the southeast, Bertha regained hurricane strength on the 18th as it began accelerating towards the northeast. As it moved over cooler waters, it weakened slightly to a tropical storm late on July 19. It finally became extratropical on July 20 southwest of Iceland. Bertha is the longest-lived pre-August Atlantic tropical cyclone on record.
Tropical Storm CristobalTropical storm (SSHS)
Duration July 18—July 23
Intensity 65 mph (100 km/h) (1-min), 998 mbar (hPa)
A tropical disturbance located off the east coast central Florida formed on July 15. The system slowly developed into a Tropical Depression on July 18 while located 65 mi (105 km) to the south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. The depression gradually became better organized and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Cristobal the next day while located 225 mi (362 km) to the southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Cristobal paralleled the North Carolina coastline for the next two days with minimal to no impact as most of the convection and wind was located on the eastern half of the storm. However, there was some heavy rainfall amounting up to 5 in (130 mm) in localized areas of southern North Carolina. On July 20, Cristobal began to move away from the coastline and began to intensify as it passed over the Gulf Stream. Cristobal peaked the next day with winds of 65 mph (105 km/h). As Cristobal moved closer to Nova Scotia, it began to lose its tropical characteristics. By July 23, Cristobal had transitioned into an extratropical cyclone.
Hurricane DollyCategory 2 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration July 20—July 25
Intensity 100 mph (155 km/h) (1-min), 964 mbar (hPa)
Main article: Hurricane Dolly (2008)
A strong tropical wave tracked across the Caribbean Sea in the third week of July. Despite producing strong convection and tropical storm-force sustained winds, it failed to develop a low-level circulation until July 20. That morning, reconnaissance aircraft found a low-level circulation and the system was declared Tropical Storm Dolly. This marked the fastest start of a hurricane season since 2005.
It made landfall early on July 21 as a weak and disorganized tropical storm near Cancun, and emerged over the Gulf of Mexico later that morning. 17 deaths were reported in Guatemala from landslides caused by heavy rain on the fringes of Dolly.
On July 22 at 4 p.m. CDT, it strengthened into the second hurricane of the season. It steadily strengthened that night into the morning of July 23 and reached Category 2 intensity. It made landfall at 1 p.m. CDT (1800 UTC) on South Padre Island at peak intensity. Dolly caused no deaths in Texas but it became the most damaging hurricane to affect Texas since 2005's Hurricane Rita, with US$1.2 billion dollars in damage. It was also the most destructive hurricane to make landfall in Texas since 1983's Alicia, and was the fourth costliest Texas hurricane in history, behind Hurricane Rita, Hurricane Alicia, and Hurricane Ike later in the season. The remnant low caused flash flooding and two deaths in New Mexico before dissipating late on July 27.
Tropical Storm EdouardTropical storm (SSHS)
Duration August 3—August 6
Intensity 65 mph (100 km/h) (1-min), 996 mbar (hPa)
Main article: Tropical Storm Edouard (2008)
A shear line stalled in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico in early August as troughing aloft dug into the northeast Gulf of Mexico. This energy aloft helped to organize a surface low along the shearline early on August 2,[19] which slowly organized over the following day. It strengthened into Tropical Depression Five before gaining intensity and being named Tropical Storm Edouard on August 3. The storm made landfall in Southeast Texas near Port Arthur on the morning of August 5 as a strong tropical storm. As it moved inland, the system weakened into a tropical depression by afternoon. The depression dissipated late on August 6 while inland over Texas.
Tropical Storm FayTropical storm (SSHS)
Duration August 15—August 26
Intensity 65 mph (100 km/h) (1-min), 986 mbar (hPa)
Main article: Tropical Storm Fay (2008)
A vigorous tropical wave tracked into the northeastern Caribbean in mid-August. It produced heavy rain across the Leeward Islands and into Puerto Rico before tracking westward, while unable to develop a low-level circulation despite producing tropical storm-force winds. On August 15, a closed circulation was found and the system was declared Tropical Storm Fay. Later that day Fay produced heavy rains on the island of Hispaniola prompting a major flash flood threat. Fay crossed Hispaniola, Cuba, and hit south Florida beginning late on August 18, slowly tracking northeastward across the peninsula. Significant flooding resulted in much of eastern Florida, along with some wind damage. After crossing into the Atlantic, Fay turned westward again and crossed northern Florida on August 22. As it zigzagged from water to land, it became the first storm in recorded history to make landfall in Florida four times. Fay weakened into a tropical depression along the north coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Fay eventually weakened into a remnant low around noon on August 26 while located over Alabama, and then rapidly transitioned into an extratropical low six hours later. Fay was responsible for 36 deaths and at least $180 million in damage (2008 USD).