2012 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season was most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, shattering even the records of 2005, with a total of 50 tropical/subtropical depressions, 45 named storms, 34 hurricanes, and 29 major hurricanes observed. Hypercane Gordon shattered the record for the world's most powerful storm, having a top wind speed of 510 mph (820 km/h) and a pressure of 799 mbar, far eclipsing 1979's Super Typhoon Tip (which had 190 mph winds and a previously record pressure of 870 mbar). The hypercane was initally a tropical storm that seemed to be on the verge of dying and dissipating by July 1, but while passing over an erupting underwater supervolcano near Bermuda, it formed into a massive superstorm which destroyed much of southern England and eastern Europe, including Schleswig Holstein, Germany; Helsinki, Finland; and St. Petersburg along with much of Russia's Arctic coast, as well as swamping the Netherlands' coastline. Storms of unusually early formation for the year included Category 2 Hurricanes Alberto and Beryl, both of which formed on January 28 from a splitting tropical wave in the southern Caribbean and later dissipated on February 7 and 9 after impacting Columbia, Panama, and Mexico, respectively. Alberto set and Beryl tied the record for earliest-forming Atlantic storm until 2028's Aaron. The remnants of Hurricane Sandy also spawned the Atlanta 'Super-Tornado', which contained the fastest winds ever recorded on Earth, 702 mph, all-but obliterating downtown Atlanta, leaving only twisted ruins and a one-hundred and fifteen mile-long path of destruction as far as Chattanooga, Tennessee's outskirts, destroying multiple towns and killing nearly six thousand in Atlanta alone (nearly 7700 in total). The second strongest tornado of the year was spawned by Hurricane Isaac in the outskirts of St. Nazaire, France, containing winds of 650 mph, leaving a sixty-eight mile long trail of devastation through eastern France as far as Rennes.

Storms
Note: * indicates name retired from use

Hurricane Alberto
Category 2 hurricane, winds 110 mph

Min. Pressure: 965 mbar

Formed: January 28, 2012 Dissipated: February 7, 2012

Landfall(s): Soledad, Columbia; Colon, Panama; Changuinola, Panama

Hurricane Beryl
Category 2 hurricane, winds 105 mph

Min. Pressure: 971 mbar

Formed: January 28, 2012 Dissipated: February 9, 2012

Landfall(s): Cayman Islands; Cancun, Mexico

Tropical Storm Chris
Tropical storm, winds 70 mph

Min. Pressure: 989 mbar

Formed: February 17, 2012 Dissipated: February 26, 2012

Landfall(s): Eleuthera Island, Bahamas; St. Augustine, Florida

Hurricane Debby
Category 3 hurricane, winds 120 mph

Min. Pressure: 957 mbar

Formed: March 29, 2012 Dissipated: April 7, 2012

Landfall(s): Key West, Florida; Port Arthur, Texas

Hurricane Ernesto*
Category 3 hurricane, winds 120 mph

Min. Pressure: 960 mbar

Formed: April 6, 2012 Dissipated: April 20, 2012 Landfall(s): Cancun, Mexico; Honduras-Guatemala border

Hurricane Florence
Category 4 hurricane, winds 140 mph

Min. Pressure: 947 mbar

Formed: May 13, 2012 Dissipated: June 1, 2012 Landfall(s): None

Hypercane Gordon*
Category 9 hypercane, winds 510 mph

Min. Pressure: 799 mbar Formed: June 30, 2012 Dissipated: September 2, 2012

Landfall(s): Plymouth, England; Weymouth, England; Isle of Wight, England; Oostende, Belgium; Vlissingen, Netherlands; Burghsluis, Netherlands; Sankt Peter-Ording, Germany; Helsinki, Finland; St. Petersburg, Russia; Point Hope, Alaska

Hurricane Helene
Category 4 hurricane, winds 150 mph

Min. Pressure: 937 mbar

Formed: July 4, 2012 Dissipated: July 25, 2012

Landfall(s): None

Hurricane Isaac*
Category 4 hurricane, winds 155 mph

Min. Pressure: 930 mbar

Formed: July 10, 2012 Dissipated: August 2, 2012

Landfall(s): Saint-Nazaire, France; Eastbourne, England

Tropical Storm Joyce
Tropical storm, winds 65 mph

Min. Pressure: 992 mbar

Formed: July 27, 2012 Dissipated: August 5, 2012

Landfall(s): Cape Race, Newfoundland

Subtropical Depression Eleven
Subtropical depression, winds 35 mph

Min. Pressure: 1014 mbar

Formed: July 27, 2012 Dissipated: July 28, 2012

Landfall(s): Mykines Island, Faroe Islands

Hurricane Kirk*
Category 5 hurricane, winds 175 mph

Min. Pressure: 914 mbar

Formed: July 27, 2012 Dissipated: August 10, 2012

Landfall(s): Miami, Florida; Pascagoula, Mississippi; Black Bay, Louisiana; Madisonville, Louisiana

Hurricane Leslie
Category 5 hurricane, winds 170 mph

Min. Pressure: 918 mbar

Formed: August 11, 2012 Dissipated: August 30, 2012

Landfall(s): None

Tropical Storm Michael
Tropical storm, winds 70 mph

Min. Pressure: 988 mbar

Formed: August 11, 2012 Dissipated: August 20, 2012

Landfall(s): La Rochelle, France

Hurricane Nadine
Category 2 hurricane, winds 110 mph

Min. Pressure: 970 mbar

Formed: August 20, 2012 Dissipated: September 2, 2012

Landfall(s): Bermuda; Boston, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine

Hurricane Oscar*
Category 5 hurricane, winds 170 mph

Min. Pressure: 917 mbar

Formed: August 29, 2012 September 21, 2012

Landfall(s): Cameron, Louisiana; Florida-Alabama border

Hurricane Patty
Category 4 hurricane, winds 150 mph

Min. Pressure: 929 mbar

Formed: August 30, 2012 Dissipated: September 13, 2012

Landfall(s): Garden City, South Carolina

Hurricane Rafael*
Category 6 hurricane, winds 225 mph

Min. Pressure: 862 mbar

Formed: September 12, 2012 Dissipated: October 1, 2012

Landfall(s): Mastic Beach, New York ; New Haven, Connecticut

Hurricane Sandy*
Category 5 hurricane, winds 180 mph

Min. Pressure: 902 mbar

Formed: September 15, 2012 Dissipated: October 3, 2012

Landfall(s): Savannah, Georgia

Hurricane Tony
Category 5 hurricane, winds 190 mph

Min. Pressure: 897 mbar

Formed: September 17, 2012 Dissipated: October 7, 2012

Landfall(s): Hvolsvöllur, Iceland

Hurricane Valerie
Category 4 hurricane, winds 150 mph

Min. Pressure: 932 mbar

Formed: September 22, 2012 Dissipated: October 10, 2012

Landfall(s): Grenada; Maracaibo, Venezuela

Hurricane William*
Category 6 hurricane, winds 215 mph

Min. Pressure: 870 mbar

Formed: September 25, 2012 Dissipated: October 16, 2012

Landfall(s): Lisbon, Portugal

Hurricane Alpha
Category 5 hurricane, winds 190 mph

Min. Pressure: 893 mbar

Formed: September 26, 2012 Dissipated: October 18, 2012

Landfall(s): Cancun, Mexico; Veracruz, Mexico

Subtropical Depression Twenty-Four
Subtropical depression, winds 35 mph

Min. Pressure: 1007 mbar

Formed: September 28, 2012 Dissipated: September 29, 2012

Landfall(s): Bermuda

Hurricane Beta
Category 4 hurricane, winds 145 mph

Min. Pressure: 941 mbar

Formed: September 30, 2012 Dissipated: October 20, 2012

Landfall(s): None

Hurricane Gamma
Category 5 hurricane, winds 195 mph

Min. Pressure: 887 mbar

Formed: October 2, 2012 Dissipated: October 30, 2012

Landfall(s): Brownsville, Texas

Hurricane Delta
Category 5 hurricane, winds 185 mph

Min. Pressure: 900 mbar

Formed: October 2, 2012 Dissipated: November 1, 2012

Landfall(s): None

Hurricane Epsilon
Category 2 hurricane, winds 110 mph

Min. Pressure: 965 mbar

Formed: October 7, 2012 Dissipated: November 3, 2012

Landfall(s): La Romaine, Canada

Tropical Storm Zeta
Tropical storm, winds 70 mph

Min. Pressure: 985 mbar

Formed: October 10, 2012 Dissipated: October 19, 2012

Landfall(s): None

Hurricane Eta
Category 6 hurricane, winds 220 mph

Min. Pressure: 865 mbar

Formed: October 10, 2012 Dissipated: November 10, 2012

Landfall(s): None

Hurricane Theta*
Category 5 hurricane, winds 190 mph

Min. Pressure: 902 mbar

Formed: October 17, 2012 Dissipated: November 8, 2012

Landfall(s): Canal Zone, Panama

Hurricane Iota*
Category 4 hurricane, winds 150 mph

Min. Pressure: 934 mbar

Formed: October 20, 2012 Dissipated: November 13, 2012

Landfall(s): Virginia Beach, Virginia; Gloucester Point, Virginia

Hurricane Kappa*
Category 4 hurricane, winds 155 mph

Min. Pressure: 930 mbar

Formed: October 26, 2012 Dissipated: November 19, 2012

Landfall(s): Ocean City, Maryland; Baltimore, Maryland

Tropical Storm Lambda
Tropical storm, winds 70 mph

Min. Pressure: 987 mbar

Formed: October 30, 2012 Dissipated: November 7, 2012

Landfall(s): Kilkee, Ireland

Tropical Storm Mu
Tropical storm, winds 65 mph

Min. Pressure: 990 mbar

Formed: November 1, 2012 Dissipated: November 10, 2012

Landfall(s): Swansea, Wales

Tropical Depression Thirty-Six
Tropical depression, winds 30 mph

Min. Pressure: 1009 mbar

Formed: November 1, 2012 Dissipated: November 2, 2012

Landfall(s): None

Tropical Depression Thirty-Seven
Tropical depression, winds 35 mph

Min. Pressure: 1013 mbar

Formed: November 2, 2012 Dissipated: November 3, 2012

Landfall(s): Cedar Hammock, Georgia

Tropical Storm Nu
Tropical storm, winds 70 mph

Min. Pressure: 986 mbar

Formed: November 2, 2012 Dissipated: November 9, 2012

Landfall(s): Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland; St. Brides Bay, Wales

Hurricane Xi
Category 2 hurricane, winds 110 mph

Min. Pressure: 969 mbar

Formed: November 10, 2012 Dissipated: November 27, 2012

Landfall(s): St. Helier, France; Alderney Island, France; Isle of Wight, England

Tropical Storm Omicron
Tropical storm, winds 55 mph

Min. Pressure: 996 mbar

Formed: November 16, 2012 Dissipated: November 20, 2012

Landfall(s): Watchman Island, Canada

Tropical Storm Pi
Tropical storm, winds 65 mph

Min. Pressure: 989 mbar

Formed: November 19, 2012 Dissipated: November 24, 2012

Landfall(s): Delta Amacuro, Venezuela

Hurricane Rho
Category 4, winds 145 mph

Min. Pressure: 943 mbar

Formed: November 22, 2012 Dissipated: December 10, 2012

Landfall(s):São João de Pirabas, Brazil

Tropical Storm Sigma
Tropical storm, winds 70 mph

Min. Pressure: 988 mbar

Formed: November 22, 2012 Dissipated: November 29, 2012

Landfall(s): None

Hurricane Tau
Category 4 hurricane, winds 155 mph

Min. Pressure: 929 mbar

Formed: November 22, 2012 Dissipated: December 8, 2012

Landfall(s): None

Hurricane Upsilon
Category 2 hurricane, winds 105 mph

Min. Pressure: 971 mbar

Formed: November 22, 2012 Dissipated: December 2, 2012

Landfall(s): Kitsigsut, Greenland

Hurricane Phi
Category 5 hurricane, winds 165 mph

Min. Pressure: 910 mbar

Formed: November 22, 2012 Dissipated: December 16, 2012

Landfall(s): None

Hurricane Chi
Category 5 hurricane, winds 180 mph

Min. Pressure: 868 mbar

Formed: December 1, 2012 Dissipated: December 23, 2012

Landfall(s): Sal Island, Cape Verde; Nouakchott, Mauritania

Tropical Storm Psi
Tropical storm, winds 70 mph

Min. Pressure: 985 mbar

Formed: December 5, 2012 Dissipated: December 13, 2012

Landfall(s): Santa Maria, Azores

Hurricane Omega*
Category 5 hurricane, winds 195 mph

Min. Pressure: 879 mbar

Formed: December 19, 2012 Dissipated: January 9, 2013

Landfall(s): Rota, Spain; Almuñécar, Spain

Tropical Depression Fifty
Tropical depression, winds 35 mph

Min. Pressure: 1004 mbar

Formed: December 23, 2012 Dissipated: December 25, 2012

Landfall(s): None

Retirement
The level of activity ensured that that a record number of names would be retired. These names were Ernesto, Gordon, Isaac, Kirk, Oscar, Rafael, Sandy, and William. Theta, Iota, Kappa, and Omega were also retired, but were also marked for potential reuse in the future, though activity would never again reach this level. The record for number of names retired exceeded 2005's five retired, with eleven being officially retired, but only eight unofficially, excepting the Greek names.