Tropical Storm Beryl was the strongest

off-season In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of Se ...

Atlantic

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dep ...

on record to make

landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. The second tropical cyclone of the

2012 Atlantic hurricane season The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season was the final year in a consecutive string of three very active seasons since 2010, with 19 tropical storms; although many of the storms were weak and short-lived. The 2012 season was also a costly season i ...

, Beryl developed on May 26 from a

low-pressure system In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...

offshore

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

. Initially subtropical, the storm slowly acquired tropical characteristics as it tracked across warmer

sea surface temperatures Sea surface temperature (SST), or ocean surface temperature, is the ocean temperature close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masse ...

and within an environment of decreasing vertical

wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizon ...

. Late on May 27, Beryl transitioned into a tropical cyclone less than from

North Florida North Florida is a Regions of the United States#Florida, region of the U.S. state of Florida comprising the northernmost part of the state. Along with South Florida and Central Florida, it is one of Florida's three most common "directional" regi ...

. Early the following day, the storm moved ashore near

Jacksonville Beach, Florida Jacksonville Beach is a coastal resort city in Duval County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated on May 22, 1907, as Pablo Beach, and would later change its name to Jacksonville Beach in 1925. The city is part of group of communities col ...

, with peak winds of 65 mph (100 km/h). It quickly weakened to a tropical depression, dropping heavy rainfall while moving slowly across the southeastern United States. A cold front turned Beryl to the northeast, and the storm became

extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...

on May 30. The precursor to Beryl produced heavy rainfall in Cuba, causing flooding, mudslides and two deaths. Torrential rain also affected south Florida and the Bahamas. After forming, Beryl produced rough surf along the US southeastern coast, leaving one person from

Folly Beach, South Carolina Folly Beach is a public city on Folly Island in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,617 at the 2010 census, up from 2,116 in 2000. Folly Beach is within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan a ...

missing. Upon making landfall in Florida, the storm produced strong winds that left 38,000 people without power. High rains alleviated drought conditions and put out wildfires along the storm's path. A fallen tree killed a man driving in

Orangeburg County, South Carolina Orangeburg County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 92,501. Its county seat is Orangeburg. The county was created in 1769. Orangeburg County comprises the Orangeburg, SC Micro ...

. In northeast North Carolina, Beryl spawned an

EF1 tornado The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated as EF-Scale) rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage they cause. It is used in some countries, including the United States, Canada, China, and Mongolia. The Enhanced Fujita scale repl ...

that snapped trees and damaged dozens of homes near the city of Peletier. Overall damage was minor, estimated at $148,000.

Meteorological history

The origins of Beryl were from a

trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), th ...

that developed over the

Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...

on May 16. It drifted eastward into the northwestern

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

, spawning a

low pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...

on May 18. For the next three days, it remained nearly stationary without development, until the system became better defined on May 22 when it began moving to the northeast. On May 23, the elongated low had an area of disorganized

convection Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the c ...

. While passing over the Cuban Island of

Isla de la Juventud Isla de la Juventud (; en, Isle of Youth) is the second-largest Cuban island (after Cuba's mainland) and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies (after mainland Cuba itself, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Andros Islan ...

, an exposed center of circulation and transient convection was noted due to the effects of high

across the region. The next day, the system moved through the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral island, coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of ...

, and the

National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/ National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...

(NHC) noted the potential for increasingly favorable conditions over the next two days. The low became better defined as its cloud pattern consolidated. It moved further into the western Atlantic over the next 24 hours, and a band of

extended across the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the archi ...

and

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

to wrap around the southwestern edge of the circulation. On May 25, the system interacted with a mid- to upper-level low, causing the center to reform further to the northeast. After the system attained

gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ). the NHC initiated advisories on Subtropical Storm Beryl at 0300 UTC on May 26, while the cyclone was 305 mi (490 km) east of Charleston, South Carolina. Post-season analysis indicated that Beryl developed three hours prior. Beryl May 30 2012 1550Z

Following Beryl's formation, there was a receding trough over New England that initially created a weak steering environment. Marginally warm waters and dry air were expected to prevent significant intensification, and convection remained minimal through May 26. Later that day, a building ridge caused Beryl to begin a steady southwest motion. By that time, the low-level center became vertically aligned with the upper-level center. The environment near the storm's center became moister and the system began to pass over warmer sea surface temperatures, allowing convection to increase. On May 27, the storm began a transition into a

, which it completed by 1800 UTC that day. As Beryl approached northeastern Florida, it became better organized, with increased

in bands around the center. Late on May 27, the Hurricane Hunters observed flight-level winds of , suggesting maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h); this would be Beryl's peak intensity. It is possible, however, that Beryl briefly reached hurricane intensity early in the evening of May 27 based on Doppler radar velocities, although the data is inconclusive according to the post-season report. At roughly 0410 UTC on May 28 (just after midnight local time), the storm made

near

, with winds of about after weakening slightly on the final approach. After moving ashore, Beryl quickly weakened to a tropical depression. It slowed due to the weakening ridge to its north, and an approaching

cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface trough of low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropical cyclone (to the west in the Northern ...

turned it to the north and northeast on May 29. Despite being well inland, Beryl retained enough convection to remain a tropical cyclone. As Beryl approached the Atlantic Ocean on May 30, its convection increased to the south and east of the center, although the intrusion of dry air resulted in a ragged appearance on satellite imagery. Based on reports from ships, Beryl was upgraded to a tropical storm on May 30 near the South Carolina coastline. The approaching front caused the storm to accelerate northeastward. Beryl's circulation became elongated and its associated convection spread northward, suggesting the transition into an extratropical cyclone. By late on May 30, Beryl became extratropical, prompting the NHC to discontinue advisories. The storm continued to the northeast, later turning to the east-southeast. On June 2, a larger extratropical storm absorbed the remnants of Beryl to the southeast of

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

Preparations, impact, and records

When Beryl made landfall in

with , it became the strongest tropical cyclone at landfall in the U.S. outside of the official Atlantic hurricane season. Beryl was also the second tropical storm to form before the start of the season, which marked only the fourth of six such occurrences since records began in 1851; the other five occurrences were in

1887 Events January–March * January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher. * January 20 ** The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Har ...

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 4 ...

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...

, 2016, and

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...

Cuba and The Bahamas

Before becoming a tropical cyclone, Beryl produced heavy rainfall over

, especially

Sancti Spíritus Province Sancti Spíritus () is one of the provinces of Cuba. Its capital is the identically named Sancti Spíritus. Another major city is Trinidad. Geography The southern coast of the province is flat, but the western portion of Sancti Spíritus provinc ...

, where rainfall peaked at . The rains caused mudslides and forced more than 8,500 people to evacuate their homes. Two people died after trying to cross flooded rivers. Flooding damaged 1,109 houses and destroyed 47 others. Although the rains flooded widespread areas of crop fields, the precipitation was beneficial in refilling reservoirs in drought-struck areas of the country. A band of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall moved across The Bahamas and dropped about of precipitation in Freeport,

Grand Bahama Grand Bahama is the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas, with the town of West End located east of Palm Beach, Florida. It is the third largest island in the Bahamas island chain of approximately 700 islands and 2,400 cays. The island is ...

. Low-lying areas in

New Providence New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It is the location of the national capital city of Nassau, whose boundaries are coincident with the island; it had a population of 24 ...

experienced flooding. Residents reported that a tornado touched down in Murphy Town, Abaco, downing power and telephone lines, overturning vehicles and damaging the roofs of three buildings. Rain from the system also affected the Berry Islands,

Abaco Abaco is a variant Italian form of the Biblical name " Habakkuk" (but normally Abacùc or Abacucco). Abaco may refer to: People * Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco (1675–1742), Italian composer and violinist * Joseph Abaco (1710–1805), Belgian comp ...

, and

Bimini Bimini is the westernmost district of the Bahamas and comprises a chain of islands located about due east of Miami. Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States and approximately west-northwest of Nassau. The popula ...

, as well as several smaller island groups.

Florida

Prior to being classified as a tropical cyclone, the precursor to Beryl produced locally heavy rainfall in South Florida, reaching at

Miami International Airport Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically as Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the greater Miami metropolitan area with over 1,000 daily flights to 167 domestic and international destinations, including most co ...

. The total was the second highest daily rainfall ever recorded in the month of May at the station. The rain caused extensive street flooding, especially in Sweetwater and Doral, stranding drivers and afternoon commuters.

Miami Dade College Miami Dade College (Miami Dade, MDC or Dade) is a public college in Miami, Florida. Founded in 1959, it has a total of eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County. It is the largest college in the Florida Coll ...

was forced to cancel morning classes on May 23. When the NHC issued their first advisory, the agency also issued a tropical storm warning from the Brevard/ Volusia county line in Florida to Edisto Beach, South Carolina. A tropical storm watch was issued northward to the mouth of the

Santee River } The Santee River is a river in South Carolina in the United States, and is long. The Santee and its tributaries provide the principal drainage for the coastal areas of southeastern South Carolina and navigation for the central coastal plain of ...

in South Carolina. A state of emergency was issued in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

, causing the early ending of a jazz festival and

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

events. When Beryl moved ashore, airports around Jacksonville canceled all flights except for

JetBlue Airways JetBlue Airways Corporation (stylized as jetBlue) is a major American low cost airline, and the seventh largest airline in North America by passengers carried. The airline is headquartered in the Long Island City neighborhood of the New York C ...

and

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along wi ...

. A teenager died in high seas in Daytona Beach, Florida. High surf and rip currents caused lifeguards in the region to restrict swimming in the ocean. The highest storm surge was at Fernandina Beach. When the storm moved ashore, Beryl produced strong winds along the coast, peaking at 54 mph (87 km/h) at Huguenot Park in Jacksonville; nearby Buck Island reported a peak wind gust of 72 mph (117 km/h). The winds prompted the

Mathews Bridge The Mathews Bridge is a cantilever bridge in Jacksonville, Florida, which spans the St. Johns River. Constructed in 1953, the bridge brings traffic along the Arlington Expressway between downtown Jacksonville and the Arlington neighborhood. It ...

and Wonderwood Bridge to close. Toppled power lines left about 38,000 residences in Jacksonville without power. In Jacksonville, flash flooding affected areas along Hogans Creek, and waves damaged a seawall and some docks. The waters entered a condominium and three vehicles. Flash flooding covered a portion of

U.S. Route 129 U.S. Route 129 (US 129) is an auxiliary route of US 29, which it intersects in Athens, Georgia. US 129 currently runs for from an intersection with US 19/ US 27 ALT/ US 98 in Chiefland, Florida, to an interchange ...

Suwannee County Suwannee County is a county located in the north central portion of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,474, up from 41,551 in 2010. Its county seat is Live Oak. Suwannee County was a dry county until August 2011 ...

. Damage in Jacksonville was estimated at $20,000. South of Jacksonville, the outer circulation of Beryl spawned a short-lived

EF0 The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated as EF-Scale) rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage they cause. It is used in some countries, including the United States, Canada, China, and Mongolia. The Enhanced Fujita scale repl ...

tornado in

Port Saint Lucie Port St. Lucie is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. It is the most populous municipality in the county with a population of 204,851 at the 2020 census. It is located southeast of Orlando and north of Miami. The Port St. Lu ...

that caused minor damage to two homes. Damage from the tornado was estimated at $20,000. Another tornado was reported in Yankeetown. Due to its slow motion, Beryl dropped heavy rainfall across Florida, peaking at in Wellborn. Just South of Wellborn, a motorcyclist in

Taylor County, Florida Taylor County is a county located in the Big Bend region in the northern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,796. Its county seat is Perry. The county hosts the annual Florida Forest Festival and ...

was killed when a car hydroplaned on the flooded highway and struck him head-on. First responders noted that it took them 20 minutes to cover the ten miles due to the nonexistent visibility. Gainesville reported on May 28, which broke the previous daily rainfall record. Hernando County Airport broke its daily rainfall record on May 29 with a total of , which was also the greatest daily rainfall to date in 2012. The rains extinguished 80 percent of the 25 wildfires in northern Florida. In

Levy County Levy County is a county located on the Gulf coast and in the northern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,915. Its county seat is Bronson. History Levy County was created in 1845, after the Sem ...

, a waterspout dissipated while moving onshore. The high rains flooded several homes in

Citrus County Citrus County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 153,843. Its county seat is Inverness, and its largest community is Homosassa Springs. Citrus County comp ...

, causing about $108,000 in damage.

Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina

Hours before the storm moved ashore on May 27, officials in

Cumberland Island Cumberland Island, in the southeastern United States, is the largest of the Sea Islands of Georgia. The long-staple Sea Island cotton was first grown here by a local family, the Millers, who helped Eli Whitney develop the cotton gin. With i ...

, Georgia mandated that all campers evacuate the island. Although the storm made landfall in Florida, its storm surge flooded portions of

St. Marys, Georgia St. Marys is a city in Camden County, Georgia, United States, located on the southern border of Camden County on the St. Marys River. The Florida border is just to the south across the river, Cumberland Island National Seashore is to the northea ...

. Rainfall in the state peaked at at Woodbine. Beryl's rainfall was beneficial in alleviating drought conditions, despite causing some minor flooding. Wind gusts along the Georgia coastline peaked at 55 mph (89 km/h) at

Jekyll Island Jekyll Island is located off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia, in Glynn County. It is one of the Sea Islands and one of the Golden Isles of Georgia barrier islands. The island is owned by the State of Georgia and run by a self-sustainin ...

, and sustained tropical force winds extended into the state. Downed trees damaged two homes in McIntosh County, and in

, a falling tree killed a man driving on a state highway. This was the only direct death due to the storm; the others were indirectly related. The highest wind gust in South Carolina was 46 mph (74 km/h) in Fort Johnson, although stronger winds occurred just offshore. Rains in the state peaked at in Jasper County. High tides in

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoun ...

Harbor sank a boat, forcing the crew to be rescued by the

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...

. In

, one person went missing after swimming in rough surf, but it was not included in the overall death toll. After Beryl began accelerating to the northeast, it dropped heavy rainfall in the Carolinas, causing isolated flooding near

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is t ...

. Farther north in Peletier, the storm spawned an EF1 tornado on the

Enhanced Fujita scale The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated as EF-Scale) rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage they cause. It is used in some countries, including the United States, Canada, China, and Mongolia. The Enhanced Fujita scale repl ...

that damaged 67 homes and destroyed 3 others. Moisture from the storm spread northward into Maryland and West Virginia.

Notes

References

External links

Tropical Storm Beryl Advisory Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beryl (2012) 2012 Atlantic hurricane season Off-season Atlantic tropical cyclones Atlantic tropical storms

Beryl Beryl ( ) is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium silicate with the chemical formula Be3Al2Si6O18. Well-known varieties of beryl include emerald and aquamarine. Naturally occurring, hexagonal crystals of beryl can be up to several ...