Hurricane Nicole (2016)

Hurricane Nicole

Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Nicole rapidly intensifying south of Bermuda on October 12
Formed	October 4, 2016
Dissipated	October 20, 2016
(Extratropical after October 18)
Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 140 mph (220 km/h)
Lowest pressure	950 mbar (hPa); 28.05 inHg
Fatalities	1 direct, 1 missing
Damage	$15 million (2016 USD)
Areas affected	Bermuda, North Atlantic Coastlines
Part of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Nicole was the first major hurricane to directly impact Bermuda since Hurricane Fabian in 2003. The fourteenth named storm, sixth hurricane and third major hurricane of the active 2016 Atlantic hurricane season, Nicole formed in the central Atlantic on October 4. The small, slow-moving storm defied forecasts by steadily organizing in spite of strong wind shear, and it rapidly intensified to a Category 2 hurricane on October 7. The wind shear finally took its toll by October 8, reducing Nicole to a minimal tropical storm, as a building high pressure system forced the storm southwards. Intensification began once again as the storm retreated towards Bermuda, and Nicole reached its peak intensity early on October 13 as a Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph (220 km/h) winds. Shortly thereafter, increased vertical wind shear weakened the storm to Category 3 status, and the eye of the storm passed over Bermuda later that day. The storm's approach to Bermuda forced schools, businesses, and government offices to close, while flight, bus, and ferry services were interrupted.

On October 1, 2016, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring a weak tropical wave-induced low pressure area producing scattered showers and thunderstorms, along with winds just shy of tropical storm intensity, over the central Atlantic. Strong wind shear prevented the disturbance from organizing significantly as it tracked northwestward for the next several days. On October 4, satellite data confirmed the presence of a well-defined circulation center with gale-force winds. Around the same time, thunderstorm activity became better organized and banding features began to evolve over the eastern side of the disturbance. As a result, the NHC classified the system as Tropical Storm Nicole at 15:00 UTC, while it was located about 525 mi (845 km) northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The storm, still plagued by inhibiting wind shear, was forecast to remain weak.