Hurricane Michael (2000)

Hurricane Michael

Category 2 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Michael at peak intensity on October 18
Formed	October 15, 2000
Dissipated	October 20, 2000
(Extratropical after October 19)
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 100 mph (155 km/h)
Lowest pressure	965 mbar (hPa); 28.5 inHg
Fatalities	None reported
Damage	Unknown
Areas affected	East Coast of the United States, Bermuda, Atlantic Canada
Part of the 2000 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Michael of the 2000 Atlantic hurricane season caused moderate damage in Atlantic Canada. The seventeenth tropical cyclone, thirteenth named storm, and eighth hurricane of the season, Michael developed from a non-tropical system to the southwest of Bermuda on October 15. The system was initially subtropical, but rapidly acquired tropical characteristics by October 17. Michael quickly strengthened into a hurricane later that day. By October 20, Michael peaked as a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale at a relatively high altitude of 44°N. The storm weakened slightly to a Category 1 hurricane and became extratropical shortly before making landfall in Newfoundland on October 20.

As the intensity of Michael was equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane during landfall, high winds were reported throughout Atlantic Canada, especially in Newfoundland. Winds from the storm peaked at 172 km/h (107 mph) in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland; other locations across the island reported winds of 128 to 150 km/h (80 to 93 mph). High winds caused minor structure damage across Newfoundland, confined to vinyl siding peeled off, shattered windows, and unroofed houses. In addition, sporadic power outages were also reported from Corner Brook to St. John's. Michael also dropped rainfall across Atlantic Canada and in Maine. The rainfall was generally light, with much of the region reporting between 25 to 51 mm (0.98 to 2.01 in) of precipitation. Michael also produced high tides, accompanied by waves reported as high as 16.9 m (55 ft) by a buoy well offshore of Newfoundland.

The system originated out of a non-tropical cold-core upper level low that drifted southward into the subtropics. The low interacted with a cold front, which resulted in the development of a stationary front over the Bahamas on October 10. As the cold low drifted southward, a surface low developed on October 12. The surface low remained mostly stationary until early on October 15 as it merged with the upper-level low and deepened while north of the Bahamas and east of the coast of Florida. Later that day, the system gained enough tropical characteristics and became organized enough to be classified as a subtropical depression. The storm remained stationary over warm water, with sea surface temperatures around 28 °C (82 °F), while it continued to gain additional tropical characteristics. Around 0000 UTC on October 16, it strengthened into a subtropical storm after satellite classifications showed a stronger storm. Later that day, the cyclone continued to develop as more thunderstorms formed and persisted near the low-level circulation.