Hurricane Earl (1998)

Hurricane Earl

Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Earl at peak intensity just before making landfall in Florida late on September 2
Formed	August 31, 1998
Dissipated	September 8, 1998
(Extratropical after September 3)
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 100 mph (155 km/h)
Lowest pressure	985 mbar (hPa); 29.09 inHg
Fatalities	3 direct
Damage	$79 million (1998 USD)
Areas affected	Florida, Georgia, Carolinas, Atlantic Canada
Part of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Earl was an atypical, short-lived Category 2 hurricane that caused moderate damage throughout the Southeast United States. It formed out of a poorly organized tropical disturbance over the southwest Gulf of Mexico late on August 31, 1998. Tracking towards the northeast, the storm quickly intensified into a hurricane on September 2 and made landfall early the next day near Panama City, Florida. Rapidly tracking towards Atlantic Canada, the extratropical remnants of Earl significantly intensified before passing over Newfoundland on September 6. The remnants were absorbed by former Hurricane Danielle two days later.

Moderate beach erosion occurred along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida as waves reached 20 ft (6.1 m). Throughout Florida, nearly 2,000 homes were damaged and a few were destroyed. Severe flooding caused by storm surge and heavy rains was the main cause of damage in the state. Offshore, two men drowned after their boat capsized during the storm. A minor tornado outbreak took place in relation to Earl in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. A tornado in South Carolina killed one person after completely destroying the occupants home. In all, three people were killed by Earl and damages were $79 million (1998 USD; $104.4 million 2009 USD).

Hurricane Earl originated out of a strong tropical wave that moved off the west coast of Africa on August 17. By August 23, a weak area of low pressure developed within the wave and well-developed convective activity was present as it tracked through the Lesser Antilles. Once in the Caribbean Sea, strong wind shear produced by the outflow of Hurricane Bonnie inhibited further development of the system. As it remained well-defined, satellites easily followed the low pressure into the Gulf of Mexico. By August 31, the storm had become sufficiently organized for the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to classify it as Tropical Depression Five. At this time, the depression was located roughly halfway between Merida and Tampico, Mexico.