Hurricane Kyle (2002)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

September 20, 2002 to October 12, 2002

Peak strength

Category 1, 75 kt (86 mph)

Lowest pressure

980 mb (28.94 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

14.4

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

160 nmi (296 km, 184 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

15 nmi (28 km, 17 mi)

Overall size

250 nmi (463 km, 288 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Fastest the center moved

21 kt (24 mph)

Identifier

AL122002

Radar at KLTX as it neared land, Oct 11, 22:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

0 (0 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

0

Property damage

$335,000

Crop damage

none recorded

Events recorded

30 in 10 reports from 6 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

21 heavy rain, 8 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 518 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 8.72 inches (221 mm).

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Tropical Storm Kyle dumped 3 to 5 inches of rain in the Savannah area within a 12 hours period. This very heavy rainfall caused flooding of roads, low lying areas and places with poor drainage. Numerous cars stalled and roads were closed as the flooding began to endanger lives.

Chatham, Georgia · Flash Flood · Oct 11, 09:50 UTC

Tropical Storm Kyle produced 4 to 10 inches of rain over easter Clarendon county closing roads in low lying areas. The most serious damage occurred in Chitwood Mobile Home Park just outside of Manning where 17 mobile homes were heavily damaged by high water, forcing about 50 persons to move to shelters.

Clarendon, South Carolina · Flash Flood · Oct 11, 15:00 UTC

Ahead of approaching tropical storm Kyle, heavy rains moved into Florence and Williamsburg Counties from the west and continued into Georgetown County...causing widespread ponding on roads. In the city of Florence, 10 car accidents were attributed to minor flooding between 10 and 11 AM EST.

Florence, South Carolina · Heavy Rain · Oct 11, 15:00 UTC

Up to 4 to 6 inches of rain fell across Pitt county as the remnants of Tropical Storm Kyle moved across the area. Numerous roads were closed in and around Greenville. Several vehicles became flooded and were abandoned.

Pitt, North Carolina · Flash Flood · Oct 11, 20:30 UTC

Heavy rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Kyle caused flash flooding in and around Maury and Lizzie. Numerous roads were completely flooded and several vehicles flooded or drove into ditches as the water rose.

Greene, North Carolina · Flash Flood · Oct 11, 20:50 UTC

• Tropical Storm ArthurNorth Atlantic · 2002Tropical Storm50 kt · 992 mb
• Tropical Storm BerthaNorth Atlantic · 2002Tropical Storm35 kt · 1007 mb
• Tropical Storm CristobalNorth Atlantic · 2002Tropical Storm45 kt · 999 mb
• Tropical Storm DollyNorth Atlantic · 2002Tropical Storm50 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm EdouardNorth Atlantic · 2002Tropical Storm55 kt · 1002 mb
• Tropical Storm FayNorth Atlantic · 2002Tropical Storm50 kt · 998 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2002Tropical Depression30 kt · 1013 mb
• Hurricane GustavNorth Atlantic · 2002Cat 285 kt · 960 mb
• Tropical Storm HannaNorth Atlantic · 2002Tropical Storm50 kt · 1001 mb
• Hurricane IsidoreNorth Atlantic · 2002Cat 3110 kt · 934 mb
• Tropical Storm JosephineNorth Atlantic · 2002Tropical Storm50 kt · 1004 mb
• Hurricane LiliNorth Atlantic · 2002Cat 4125 kt · 938 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2002Tropical Depression30 kt · 1002 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Wikipedia article: Hurricane Kyle