Hurricane Isaias ( /ˌisɑːˈiːɑːs/) was a destructive Category 1 hurricane that caused extensive damage across the Caribbean and the East Coast of the United States while also spawning the strongest tropical cyclone-spawned tornado since Hurricane Rita in 2005. The ninth named storm and second hurricane of the extremely active and record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Isaias originated from a vigorous tropical wave off the coast of Africa that was first identified by the National Hurricane Center on July 23. The tropical wave gradually became more organized and obtained gale-force winds on July 28 before organizing into Tropical Storm Isaias on July 30. Isaias marked the earliest ninth named storm on record, surpassing 2005's Hurricane Irene by eight days. Isaias strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on the next day, reaching an initial peak of 85 mph (137 km/h), with a minimum central pressure of 987 mbar (hPa; 29.15 inHg). On August 1, the storm made landfall on North Andros, Bahamas and subsequently weakened to a tropical storm, before paralleling the east coast of Florida and Georgia. As Isaias approached the Carolina coastline, it reintensified back into a hurricane. Soon afterward, Isaias reached its peak intensity, with maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 90 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 986 millibars (29.1 inHg), before making landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, at 03:10 UTC on August 4, at the same intensity. The storm proceeded to accelerate up the East Coast of the United States as a strong tropical storm, before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone over Quebec on August 4. Isaias's extratropical remnants persisted for another day, before dissipating on August 5.

Numerous tropical storm watches and warnings as well as hurricane watches and hurricane warnings were issued for the Lesser Antilles, Greater Antilles, Bahamas, Cuba, and the East Coast of the United States. Isaias impacted portions of the Eastern Caribbean and caused significant damage in the Eastern United States. Devastating flooding and wind damage were reported in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, with many towns without electricity or drinking water. Trees were uprooted and power lines were downed in much of the Eastern United States from both damaging winds and tornadoes, with more than 3 million power outages reported, nearly half of them in New Jersey. Isaias was also the second tropical cyclone to affect the Northeastern States in 3 weeks after Tropical Storm Fay in early July. Many people were without power for days after the storm in New York and Connecticut, leading to investigations into power and electricity companies. There were 17 storm-related deaths (direct and indirect): 14 in the contiguous United States, two in the Dominican Republic, and one in Puerto Rico. Overall, Isaias caused approximately $5.025 billion (2020 USD) in damage, with $4.8 billion in damage occurring in the U.S. alone, making Isaias the costliest tropical cyclone to affect the Northeastern United States since Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The Spanish name Isaias was found by many people to be difficult to enunciate, and was mispronounced by some weather forecasters in the United States. Isaias was one of several destructive 2020 hurricanes whose names were not retired by the World Meteorological Organization following the season, along with: Sally, Delta, and Zeta. ( Full article...)

The history of Atlantic tropical cyclone warnings details the progress of tropical cyclone warnings in the North Atlantic Ocean. The first service was set up in the 1870s from Cuba with the work of Father Benito Viñes. After his death, hurricane warning services were assumed by the US Army Signal Corps and United States Weather Bureau over the next few decades, first based in Jamaica and Cuba before shifting to Washington, D.C. The central office in Washington, which would evolve into the National Meteorological Center and the Weather Prediction Center, assumed the responsibilities by the early 20th century. This responsibility passed to regional hurricane offices in 1935, and the concept of the Atlantic hurricane season was established to keep a vigilant lookout for tropical cyclones during certain times of the year. Hurricane advisories issued every 12 hours by the regional hurricane offices began at this time.

The National Hurricane Center became a tropical cyclone warning center in 1956 and assumed many of the functions it has today by 1965. The National Hurricane Research Project, begun in the 1950s, used aircraft to study tropical cyclones and carry out experiments on mature hurricanes through its Stormfury project. Forecasts within the hurricane advisories were issued one day into the future in 1954 before being extended to two days into the future in 1961, three days into the future in 1964, and five days into the future in 2001. From the 1960s through the 1980s, work from the various regional hurricane offices was consolidated into the National Hurricane Center. Its name was changed to the Tropical Prediction Center in 1995, before reassuming its National Hurricane Center name in 2010. Tropical cyclone forecasting is done nowadays using statistical methods based on tropical cyclone climatology, as well as methods of numerical weather prediction where computers use mathematical equations of motion to determine their movement. ( Full article...)

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season was the third in a consecutive series of above-average and damaging Atlantic hurricane seasons, featuring 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes, which caused a total of over $50 billion (2018 USD) in damages and at least 172 deaths. More than 98% of the total damage was caused by two hurricanes (Florence and Michael). The season officially began on June 1, 2018, and ended on November 30, 2018. These dates historically describe the period in each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin and are adopted by convention. However, subtropical or tropical cyclogenesis is possible at any time of the year, as demonstrated by the formation of Tropical Storm Alberto on May 25, making this the fourth consecutive year in which a storm developed before the official start of the season. The season concluded with Oscar transitioning into an extratropical cyclone on October 31, almost a month before the official end.

Although several tropical cyclones impacted land, only a few left extensive damage. In mid-September, Hurricane Florence produced disastrous flooding in North Carolina and South Carolina, with damage totaling about $24 billion. The storm also caused 54 deaths. About a month later, Hurricane Michael, the first tropical cyclone to strike the United States as a Category 5 hurricane since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, left extensive damage in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Michael caused approximately $25 billion in damage and at least 64 deaths. Since Michael reached Category 5 status, 2018 became the third consecutive season to feature at least one Category 5 hurricane. Hurricane Leslie resulted in the first tropical storm warning being issued for the Madeira region of Portugal. Leslie and its remnants left hundreds of thousands of power outages and downed at least 1,000 trees in the Portuguese mainland, while heavy rains generated by the remains of the cyclone caused 15 deaths in France. The storm left approximately $500 million in damage and 16 fatalities. ( Full article...)

Italicized basins are unofficial.

North Atlantic (2024)

Tropical Storm Alberto

East and Central Pacific (2024)

No active systems

West Pacific (2024)

No active systems

North Indian Ocean (2024)

No active systems

Mediterranean (2023–24)

No active systems

South-West Indian Ocean (2023–24)

No active systems

Australian region (2023–24)

No active systems

South Pacific (2023–24)

No active systems

South Atlantic (2023–24)

No active systems

Last updated: 02:15, 20 June 2024 (UTC)

June 19,

• 1959 - Hurricane Three, which caused the 1959 Escuminac disaster, looped in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, sinking 22 of 54 fishing boats from Escuminac, New Brunswick. The storm killed a total of 35 people.
• 1993 - Tropical Storm Arlene (pictured) reaches tropical storm intensity prior to making landfall on Padre Island, Texas. Arlene killed a total of 29 people and caused about $55 million of damage, with most of the deaths occurring while it was a tropical wave.

June 20,

• 2009 - Tropical Storm Linfa reaches peak intensity as a severe tropical storm. Linfa caused damages of about $105 million, mostly from eastern China and Taiwan.
• 2013 - Tropical Storm Barry (pictured) makes landfall over in Veracruz, Mexico, killing only five people in total.

June 21

• 1989 - Hurricane Cosme made landfall over in southern Mexico as a category 1 hurricane killing a total of 30 people.
• 2008 - Typhoon Fengshen (pictured) reached its peak intensity of 200 km/h (125 mph) while moving through the Philippines. Fengshen killed more than 1,300 people mostly from the capsizing of the MV Princess of the Stars.

• …that the Joint Typhoon Warning Center considers that Typhoon Vera (pictured) of 1986 is actually two distinct systems, formed from two separated low-level circulations?
• …that Hurricane Agatha (pictured) was the strongest Pacific hurricane to make landfall in Mexico in May since records began in 1949?
• …that Cyclone Raquel (track pictured) travelled between the Australian and South Pacific basins between the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons, spanning both seasons in both basins?
• …that Cyclone Amphan (pictured) in 2020 was the first storm to be classified as a Super Cyclonic Storm in the Bay of Bengal since 1999?

The following are images from various tropical cyclone-related articles on Wikipedia.