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. 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. Surprisingly, two preseason storms formed: Alberto on May 19, and Beryl on May 26. This was the first such occurrence since the 1951 season. The final storm to dissipate (second-to-last to become a named storm) was Sandy, on October 29. Altogether, ten storms became hurricanes, of which two intensified into major hurricanes.
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. Sandy, the second and final major hurricane of the season, was the largest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, with a wind diameter of more than . 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. Sandy is the second-costliest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history, surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina during the 2005 season.
This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.
The time stamp for each event is first stated using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the 24-hour clock where 00:00 = midnight UTC. The NHC 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. In this timeline, the respective area time is included in parentheses. Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (miles, or kilometers), following National Hurricane Center practice. 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. __TOC__
Timeline
May May 19
0600 UTC (2:00 a.m. EDT) – A tropical depression develops from an area of low pressure offshore the North Carolina–South Carolina border. 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT) – The tropical depression intensifies into Tropical Storm Alberto.
May 20 0000 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT May 19) – Tropical Storm Alberto attains its peak intensity with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 995 mbar (hPa; 29.38 inHg).
May 22 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Alberto degenerates into a non-convective remnant area of low pressure a few hundred miles north of Bermuda.
May 26 0000 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT May 25) – Subtropical Storm Beryl develops from an area of low pressure roughly east of Jacksonville, Florida.
May 27
1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Subtropical Storm Beryl transitions into a tropical storm. 2300 UTC (7:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Beryl attains its peak intensity with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 992 mbar (hPa; 29.29 inHg).
May 28 0410 UTC (12:10 a.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Beryl makes landfall near Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Beryl weakens to a tropical depression.
May 30 0600 UTC (2:00 a.m. EDT) – Tropical Depression Beryl regains tropical storm intensity roughly 190 mi (305 km) southwest of Wilmington, North Carolina. 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Depression Beryl degenerates into a non-convective remnant area of low pressure near the coast of North Carolina.
June June 1 The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins.
June 18 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) – A subtropical storm develops from an area of low pressure roughly north-northeast of Bermuda.
June 19 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – The subtropical storm transitions into Tropical Storm Chris.
June 21
0600 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Storm Chris intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, becoming the first of the 2012 season. 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – Hurricane Chris attains its peak intensity with winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 974 mbar (hPa; 28.76 inHg) roughly southeast of Cape Race.
June 22 0000 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST June 21) – Hurricane Chris weakens to a tropical storm. 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Storm Chris transitions into an extratropical cyclone roughly east-southeast of Cape Race.
June 23 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Debby develops from an area of low pressure roughly south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
June 24 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Debby attains maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h).
June 25 0000 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT June 24) – Tropical Storm Debby attains its peak intensity with a minimum barometric pressure of 990 mbar (hPa; 29.23 inHg).
June 26
2100 UTC (5:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Debby makes landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, with winds of 40 mph (65 km/h).
June 27 0000 UTC (8:00 p.m. EDT June 26) – Tropical Storm Debby weakens to a tropical depression roughly southwest of Gainesville, Florida. 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Debby dissipates offshore the eastern coast of Florida.
July No tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean during the month of July.
August August 1 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Five develops from an area of low pressure roughly east of the Windward Islands.
August 2 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Five intensifies into Tropical Storm Ernesto.
August 3
1200–1800 UTC (8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. AST) – Tropical Storm Ernesto crosses the Windward Islands into the eastern Caribbean Sea. 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Six develops from an area of low pressure roughly south-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands.
August 4 0600 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Six intensifies into Tropical Storm Florence roughly west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands.
August 5 0000 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST August 4) – Tropical Storm Florence attains its peak intensity with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 1002 mbar (hPa; 29.59 inHg).
August 6 0600 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Storm Florence weakens to a tropical depression. 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Florence degenerates into a non-convective remnant area of low pressure roughly midway between the Cape Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles.
August 7
1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Ernesto intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane roughly east of Chetumal, Mexico.
August 8 0100 UTC (8:00 p.m. CDT August 7) – Hurricane Ernesto makes its first landfall on Cayo Norte in Banco Chinchorro, Mexico, with winds of 90 mph (150 km/h). 0315 UTC (10:15 p.m. CDT August 7) – Hurricane Ernesto intensifies into a Category 2 hurricane, attains its peak intensity with winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 973 mbar (hPa; 28.73 inHg), and simultaneously makes its second landfall near Majaual, Mexico. 1200 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) – Hurricane Ernesto weakens to a tropical storm. 1800–0000 UTC (1:00–7:00 p.m. CDT) – Tropical Storm Ernesto emerges into the Bay of Campeche.
August 9 1615 UTC (11:15 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Storm Ernesto makes its third and final landfall roughly northwest of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Seven develops from an area of low pressure roughly midway between the Cape Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles.
August 10 0600 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Storm Ernesto weakens to a tropical depression. 1200 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Depression Ernesto dissipates over the mountainous terrain of Mexico.
August 11 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Seven degenerates into a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles.
August 15 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Eight develops from an area of low pressure roughly southeast of Bermuda.
August 16 0000 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST August 15) – Tropical Depression Eight intensifies into Tropical Storm Gordon.
August 17 1200 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) – The remnants of Tropical Depression Seven regenerate into a tropical depression roughly southeast of Tampico, Mexico. 1800 UTC (1:00 p.m. CDT) – Tropical Depression Seven intensifies into Tropical Storm Helene and simultaneously attains its peak intensity with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 1004 mbar (hPa; 29.65 inHg).
August 18 0600 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Storm Helene weakens to a tropical depression. 0600 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Storm Gordon intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane roughly west-southwest of the Azores. 1200 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Depression Helene makes landfall near Tampico, Mexico, with winds of 35 mph (55 km/h).
August 19 0000 UTC (7:00 p.m. CDT August 18) – Tropical Depression Helene degenerates into a non-convective remnant area of low pressure over the mountainous terrain of Mexico. 0000 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST August 18) – Hurricane Gordon attains its peak intensity with winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 965 mbar (hPa; 28.49 inHg).
August 20 0530 UTC (1:30 a.m. AST) – Hurricane Gordon makes landfall on Santa Maria Island, Azores, with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – Hurricane Gordon weakens to a tropical storm. 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) – Tropical Storm Gordon degenerates into a non-convective remnant area of low pressure northeast of the Azores.
August 21 0600 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Nine develops from an area of low pressure roughly east of the Lesser Antilles. 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Nine intensifies into Tropical Storm Isaac roughly east of the Lesser Antilles.
August 22 0600 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Ten develops from an area of low pressure roughly west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. 1800–0000 UTC August 23 (2:00–8:00 p.m. AST) – Tropical Storm Isaac crosses the Windward Islands into the eastern Caribbean Sea.
August 23 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Ten intensifies into Tropical Storm Joyce roughly west of the Cape Verde Islands. 1800 UTC (2:00 p.m. AST) – Tropical Storm Joyce attains its peak intensity with winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 1006 mbar (hPa; 29.71 inHg).
August 24 0000 UTC (8:00 p.m. AST August 23) – Tropical Storm Joyce weakens to a tropical depression. 1200 UTC (8:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Depression Joyce degenerates into a non-convective remnant area of low pressure.
August 25 0600 UTC (2:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Storm Isaac makes its first landfall near Jacmel, Haiti, with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). 1500 UTC (11:00 a.m. EDT) – Tropical Storm Isaac makes its second landfall near Cajobabo, Guantánamo, Cuba, with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h).
August 27
0000–0600 UTC (8:00 p.m. August 26–2:00 a.m. AST) – Tropical Storm Isaac crosses the Straits of Florida into the Gulf of Mexico.
August 28 1200 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) – Tropical Storm Isaac intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane roughly southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.