2012 Atlantic hurricane season facts for kids

The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season was a time when many tropical cyclones formed in the Atlantic Ocean. A tropical cyclone is a big storm system that spins around a low-pressure center. This season had more storms than average. It also caused a lot of damage, but most of the storms were not very strong and did not last long.

The season officially started on June 1 and ended on November 30, 2012. However, some storms formed even before the official start date. The first storm, Tropical Storm Alberto, appeared on May 19, 2012. Just four days later, Tropical Storm Beryl also formed. This was the first time since 1908 that two storms formed before the official season began! Interestingly, no storms formed during the month of July that year.

Storms of 2012

This section tells you about some of the storms that happened during the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season.

Tropical Storm Alberto

Tropical Storm Alberto was the first storm of the season. It formed on May 19, 2012. Because it formed before June 1, it was called an "early season storm." Alberto did not hit any land. It faded away on May 22. Its strongest winds reached about 60 miles per hour.

Tropical Storm Beryl

Tropical Storm Beryl formed on May 23, 2012. At first, it was a subtropical storm. This means it had some features of both tropical and non-tropical storms. On May 27, it became a full tropical storm. Beryl made landfall in Jacksonville, Florida, bringing rain and wind to the area.

Hurricane Chris

Hurricane Chris was the third storm of the season. It formed on June 19. Chris was special because it was the first hurricane of 2012. It became a hurricane even though the conditions were not perfect for it. The ocean water was cool, and there were strong winds high up. These conditions usually make it hard for hurricanes to get strong. After being a hurricane, Chris weakened. It became a non-tropical storm near Newfoundland on June 22.

Tropical Storm Debby

Tropical Storm Debby became the earliest fourth storm ever recorded at that time. This record was broken in a later year. Debby hit Florida and caused a lot of flooding. Sadly, this storm led to the loss of ten lives.

Timeline of Events

This timeline shows when each storm formed and how strong it became during the 2012 hurricane season.

Naming Storms

Every year, tropical storms and hurricanes are given names. This helps people and weather experts keep track of them. The names are chosen from a list that repeats every six years. The names used in 2012 were also used in the 2006 season.

Some names were used for the first time in 2012. These included Kirk, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, and Tony. The name Kirk replaced an older name, Keith, from the year 2000.

Retired Names

Sometimes, if a hurricane causes a lot of damage or loss of life, its name is "retired." This means the name will never be used again for another storm. This is done out of respect for the people affected.

On April 11, 2013, the name "Sandy" was retired. This was because of the huge damage and many deaths it caused. A new name, "Sara," will be used instead of Sandy for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season.

More Information

You can find more details about tropical cyclones from these sources:

• Hydrometeorological Prediction Center's rainfall page for tropical cyclones in 2012
• National Hurricane Center's Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook

Images for kids

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  Three tropical cyclones in the Atlantic on August 30, 2012. From left to right: Isaac, Kirk, and Twelve (which later became Leslie). You can also see Pacific storm Ileana and a disturbance that would become John.

See also

In Spanish: Temporada de huracanes en el Atlántico de 2012 para niños