NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
North Atlantic
| Storm Type | October 2018 | October 1981-2010 Average | Record Most for October Period of Record: 1851-2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds > 39 mph) |
4 | 1.9 | 6 (1870, 1887, 1950, 2005) |
| Hurricane (Winds > 74 mph) |
3 | 1.1 |
6 (1870) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds > 111 mph) |
1 | 0.4 | 2 (1878, 1893, 1894, 1950, 1961, 1964, 1995, 2005, 2018) |
| Name | Dates of winds >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds |
Minimum Central Pressure |
Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Leslie (Cat. 1) | September 23rd– October 13th | 90 mph | 969 mb | Remant low made landfall in Portugal |
| Hurricane Michael (Cat. 4) | October 7th–12th | 155 mph | 919 mb | Near Mexico Beach, Florida |
| Tropical Storm Nadine | October 9th–13th | 65 mph | 9997 mb | N/A |
| Hurricane Oscar (Cat. 2) | October 27th–31st | 105 mph | 970 mb | N/A |
Significant Events
Hurricane Michael formed from a tropical low pressure system that developed over Honduras and moved northwest, just to the east of the Yucatan Peninsula. As the storm moved quickly to the north, skirting far western Cuba, it quickly developed into a tropical storm on October 7th and a hurricane by the 8th. Michael became a major hurricane on the 9th as it entered the Gulf of Mexico which had above-average sea surface temperatures and low wind shear, favoring rapid development. Michael moved very quickly to the north and the storm continued to intensify until it made landfall on October 10th with sustained winds of 155 mph and a central minimum pressure of 919 mb near Mexico Beach, Florida. This was the third most intense hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous U.S., according to the pressure measurement and the fourth most intense based on wind speed. This was also the strongest hurricane to hit the mainland since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and was the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall along the Florida panhandle. There was a significant amount of damage reported in Panama City, which is just west of the landfall location, and in Mexico Beach, where most buildings were completely destroyed. Tyndall Air Force base was also severely damaged during the event, where a wind gust of 129 mph was observed and several fighter jets were destroyed. The storm then moved across the Southeast, causing wind damage and flooding in Georgia, the Carolinas, and into Virginia. There were at least 45 fatalities blamed on the storm in the U.S. with 15 fatalities reported in Central America. Damages are expected to be well over $1 billion.
East and Central Pacific
The 2018 East Pacific hurricane season has been hyperactive with 22 named stormes, 13 hurricanes, and 10 major hurricanes through the end of October. The Accumulate Cyclone Energy (ACE) index has been record high for the year with over a month left in the season. For the month of October alone, there were six named storms, four hurricanes, all of which were major hurricanes. The number named storms and the number of major hurricanes were record high for the month, while the number of hurricanes tied with 2015 as record high.
| Storm Type | October 2018 | October 1981-2010 Average | Record Most for October Period of Record: 1949-2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds >39 mph) |
6 | 2.1 | 6 (2018) |
| Hurricane (Winds >74 mph) |
4 | 1.2 |
4 (2015,2018) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds >111 mph) |
4 | 0.6 | 4 (2018) |
| Name | Dates of winds >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds |
Minimum Central Pressure |
Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Rosa (Cat. 4) | September 25th– October 2nd | 145 mph | 940 mb | Along Baja, California |
| Hurricane Sergio (Cat. 4) | September 29th– October 12th | 140 mph | 943 mb | Along Baja, California |
| Hurricane Walaka (Cat. 5) | September 29th–October 6th | 160 mph | 920 mb | N/A |
| Tropical Storm Tara | October 14th–17th | 60 mph | 995 mb | Skirted Mexico's west coast |
| Tropical Storm Vicente | October 19th–23rd | 40 mph | 940 mb | Along Baja, California |
| Hurricane Willa (Cat. 5) | October 20th–24th | 160 mph | 925 mb | Sinola, Mexico |
Significant Events outside of East Pacific Basin
Super Typhoon Yutu formed in the Central Pacific Basin and moved across the ocean, impacting the Northern Mariana Islands, a territory of the United States. Yutu made landfall on the islands of Tinian and Saipan as a Category 5 equivalent typhoon with estimated winds of 180 mph and a central minimum pressure of 905 mb. This marked the second strongest tropical cyclone to impact any U.S. territory on record — only the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 was stronger with estimated winds of 185 mph. There were reports of vegetation being ripped from the ground due to the strong winds. The storm devastated most of Tinian and Saipan with nearly every structure on the two islands being damaged or destroyed, including the Saipan International Airport. There were two fatalities reported in the Northern Marianas. The storm continued to move westward and impacted the Philippines as a Category 2 equivalent storm.