Hurricane Zeta

Category 3 Atlantic hurricane in 2020

Hurricane Zeta
Hurricane Zeta prior to peak intensity and landfall in southeast Louisiana on October 28
Meteorological history
FormedOctober 24, 2020
Post-tropicalOctober 29, 2020
DissipatedOctober 30, 2020
Category 3 major hurricane
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds115 mph (185 km/h)
Lowest pressure970 mbar (hPa); 28.64 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities9 total
Damage$4.4 billion (2020 USD)
Areas affectedCayman Islands, Jamaica, Central America, Yucatán Peninsula, Gulf Coast of the United States, Southeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Ireland, United Kingdom
IBTrACS / [1]

Part of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane and
2020–21 North American winter seasons

Hurricane Zeta was a late-season major hurricane in 2020 that made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula and then in southeastern Louisiana, the latest on record to do so at such strength in the United States. Zeta was the record-tying sixth hurricane of the year to make landfall in the United States. The twenty-seventh named storm, twelfth hurricane and fifth major hurricane of the extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Zeta formed from a broad area of low pressure that formed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 19. After battling wind shear, the quasi-stationary low organized into Tropical Depression Twenty-Eight on October 24. The system strengthened into Tropical Storm Zeta early on October 25 before becoming a hurricane the next day as it began to move northwestward. Hurricane Zeta made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula late on October 26 and weakened while inland to a tropical storm, before moving off the northern coast of the peninsula on October 27. After weakening due to dry air entrainment, Zeta reorganized and became a hurricane again, and eventually a Category 2 hurricane, as it turned northeastward approaching the United States Gulf Coast on October 28. It continued to strengthen until it reached its peak intensity as a major Category 3 hurricane with 115-mile-per-hour (185 km/h) sustained winds and a minimum pressure of 970 mbar (28.64 inHg) as it made landfall at Cocodrie, Louisiana, that evening. Zeta continued on through Mississippi and parts of Alabama with hurricane-force winds. Zeta gradually weakened as it accelerated northeastward, and became post-tropical on October 29, as it moved through central Virginia, dissipating shortly afterwards off the coast of New Jersey. After bringing accumulating snow to parts of New England, the extratropical low-pressure system carrying Zeta's remnant energy impacted the United Kingdom on November 1 and 2.

Numerous tropical cyclone watches and warnings were issued in areas that had already dealt with other tropical cyclones throughout the season, including Hurricane Delta, which took a near-identical track three weeks prior. States of emergencies were issued in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Heavy rain in Jamaica led to a landslide that killed a man and his daughter when it hit their family home on October 24. In Mexico, strong winds and storm surge knocked down tree branches onto flooded streets in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, near where Zeta made landfall. Heavy rain, storm surge, and strong winds also impacted the Southeastern United States and at least six fatalities were confirmed in the region. Downed power lines and numerous crashes were a result in New England after the remnants of the system brought heavy accumulating snow to parts of the region. Overall, Zeta caused at least $4.4 billion in damage throughout its path: $3.9 billion in the United States and $50 million in the Caribbean.[2]

Meteorological history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale[nb 1]
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
circle Tropical cyclone
square Subtropical cyclone
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression