Timeline of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season

Timeline of the
2012 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Season boundaries
First system formedMay 19, 2012
Last system dissipatedOctober 29, 2012
Strongest system
NameSandy
Maximum winds115 mph (185 km/h)
(1-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure940 mbar (hPa; 27.76 inHg)
Longest lasting system
NameNadine
Duration22 days
Storm articles
Other years
2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual hurricane season in the north Atlantic Ocean. For the third year in a row there were 19 named storms.[1] The season officially began on June 1, 2012, and ended on November 30, 2012, dates that conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic basin.[2] Surprisingly, two preseason storms formed: Alberto on May 19, and Beryl on May 26. This was the first such occurrence since the 1951 season.[3] The final storm to dissipate (second-to-last to become a named storm) was Sandy, on October 29.[4][5] Altogether, ten storms became hurricanes, of which two intensified into major hurricanes.[nb 1][nb 2]

Storm impact during the season was widespread and ruinous, with the most significant storms in term of loss of life and damage being hurricanes Isaac and Sandy. A Category 1 on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, Isaac was a large system that moved ashore the coast of Louisiana on August 12; the storm resulted in 41 deaths overall.[8] Sandy, the second and final major hurricane of the season, was the largest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, with a wind diameter of more than 1,100 mi (1,800 km). The system moved ashore the southern coast of New Jersey as an extratropical cyclone in late October. During its duration as a tropical cyclone, Sandy caused at least $68 billion (2012 USD) in damage and 285 fatalities.[9][10] Sandy is the second-costliest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history, surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina during the 2005 season.[11]

This timeline includes information that was not operationally released, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not operationally warned upon, has been included. This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season.

By convention, meteorologists use one time zone when issuing forecasts and making observations: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and also use the 24-hour clock (where 00:00 = midnight UTC).[12] The National Hurricane Center uses both UTC and the time zone where the center of the tropical cyclone is currently located. The time zones utilized (east to west) prior to 2020 were: Atlantic, Eastern, and Central.[13] In this timeline, all information is listed by UTC first with the respective regional time included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (knots, miles, or kilometers), following the convention used in the National Hurricane Center's products. Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Atmospheric pressures are listed to the nearest millibar and nearest hundredth of an inch of mercury.

  1. ^ Brian McNoldy (November 28, 2012). "Third most active hurricane season on record (tie) ends Friday". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  2. ^ Dorst, Neal (June 1, 2018). "Hurricane Season Information". Frequently Asked Questions About Hurricanes. Miami, Florida: NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  3. ^ Tropical Cyclones - May 2020 (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  4. ^ Richard J. Pasch; David P. Roberts (January 24, 2013). Tropical Cyclone Report: Tropical Storm Tony (PDF) (Report). National Hurricane Center. pp. 1–2, 4. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  5. ^ Eric S. Blake; et al. (February 12, 2013). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Sandy (PDF) (Report). National Hurricane Center. pp. 1–4, 24–25. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  6. ^ Climate Prediction Center Internet Team. "Background Information: The North Atlantic Hurricane Season". Climate Prediction Center. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  7. ^ "Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale". Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  8. ^ Michael S. Lee (December 4, 2012). "Active 2012 hurricane season had local impact". The Commercial. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  9. ^ "Billion-Dollar Weather/Climate Disasters". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2014-07-09. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  10. ^ Tom McCarthy (April 12, 2013). "'Sandy' to be retired as hurricane name by World Meteorological Organization". The Guardian. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  11. ^ "Report: Sandy was USA's 2nd-costliest hurricane". USA Today. February 12, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  12. ^ "Understanding the Date/Time Stamps". Miami, Florida: NOAA National Hurricane Center. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  13. ^ "Update on National Hurricane Center Products and Services for 2020" (PDF). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. April 20, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.


Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).