Hurricane Noel Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Hurricane Noel
Category 1 hurricane (SSHWS/NWS)
Hurricane Noel near peak intensity
Formed	October 28, 2007
Dissipated	November 2, 2007 Date of beginning of Extratropical transition - completed November 4.



Highest winds	1-minute sustained: 80 mph (130 km/h)
Lowest pressure	980 mbar (hPa); 28.94 inHg



Damage	$580 million (2007 USD)
Areas affected	Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica, Eastern Florida, Bahamas, Eastern North Carolina, Long Island, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick

Part of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Noel was a powerful storm that formed in the Caribbean Sea in October 2007. It was the fourteenth named storm and the sixth hurricane of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. This season is the time of year when tropical storms and hurricanes are most likely to form in the Atlantic Ocean.

Noel started as a mix of a tropical wave (an area of low pressure that moves through the tropics) and another weather system on October 27, 2007. It quickly grew stronger, reaching winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). The storm then made landfall (meaning it crossed onto land) in western Haiti and the northern coast of eastern Cuba. After this, it moved north and officially became a hurricane on November 1. Hurricane Noel sped up as it moved northeast, passing over Bahamas. By November 2, it changed into an extratropical cyclone, which is a type of storm that gets its energy from temperature differences, not just warm ocean water like a tropical storm.

Sadly, Hurricane Noel caused a lot of damage and affected many lives. At least 169 people died because of the storm, mostly in Hispaniola (the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic). This happened mainly due to severe flooding and mudslides. Noel was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane of the 2007 season. Even after it changed into a post-tropical storm, it remained a very strong low pressure system. This brought more flooding and strong winds to places like Maine and Eastern Canada. It even caused snow to fall in some parts of Eastern Quebec and Labrador.

Why Hurricane Names Are Retired

Sometimes, a hurricane name is "retired" if the storm caused a lot of damage or was very deadly. This is done to prevent people from using the name again out of respect for those affected. The name Noel was retired in May 2008 because of the serious impact it had. It was replaced by the name Nestor for the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season.