Hurricane Paulette (2020)
Hurricane Paulette reached Category 2 in the North Atlantic between September 7, 2020 and September 28, 2020, with a lowest pressure of 965 mb, and made landfall. It killed 2 people directly, by the National Hurricane Center’s count.
Track and intensity
The whole track of Hurricane Paulette, colored by strength, with the other storms of the 2020 season in the same basin behind it, and its wind and pressure hour by hour. Every fix is in the track table below.
The storm
- Basin
- North Atlantic
- Dates
- September 7, 2020 to September 28, 2020
- Peak strength
- Category 2, 90 kt (104 mph)
- Lowest pressure
- 965 mb (28.50 inHg)
- Landfall
- Yes
- Accumulated cyclone energy
- 15.9
- Tropical-storm-force wind reached
- 240 nmi (444 km, 276 mi) from the center at its widest
- Hurricane-force wind reached
- 90 nmi (167 km, 104 mi) from the center at its widest
- Eyewall radius at its peak
- 20 nmi (37 km, 23 mi)
- Overall size
- 300 nmi (556 km, 345 mi) to the outermost closed isobar
- Peak gust in the best track
- 110 kt (127 mph)
- Fastest the center moved
- 33 kt (38 mph)
- Identifier
- AL172020
Deaths and damage
The sources count different things and are not added together.
National Hurricane Center
2 direct deathsnone recorded in the United States
The season table in NHC’s report archive, final report. Direct deaths are those caused by the storm’s own wind, water or surge, anywhere in the world.
NOAA Storm Events
0 deaths (0 direct, 0 indirect)none recorded
What National Weather Service offices recorded county by county in 1 states and marine areas, in the United States only. Property and crop damage as each office estimated it, which is not a national loss total.
Wikidata
1 deathsno damage figure
A community-maintained total, usually direct and indirect deaths together and damage worldwide. Joined to this storm by its IBTrACS serial, not by name.
Landfall
| Time (UTC) | Where | Position | Wind | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 08:50 | Coast unnamed here | 32.3N 64.7W | 85 kt (98 mph) | 971 mb |
Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.
In the United States
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
- none recorded
- Crop damage
- none recorded
- Events recorded
- 1 in 1 reports from 1 states and marine areas
State by state
| State or marine area | Deaths | Injuries | Damage | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 0 | 0 | 1 |
What was recorded
1 rip current.
What forecast offices wrote
From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.
A 24 year old man and his 60 year old father came into difficulty while swimming in rough waters and rip currents produced by Hurricane Paulette near Lavallette, New Jersey. Both men were pulled from the water, but the 60 year old father did not survive. Time of event estimated.
Eastern Ocean, New Jersey · Rip Current · Sep 14, 17:00 UTC
Track
| Time (UTC) | Position | Wind | Pressure | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 00:00 | 16.9N 41.3W | 30 kt | 1006 mb | Tropical depression |
| Sep 7, 06:00 | 17.0N 41.8W | 30 kt | 1006 mb | Tropical depression |
| Sep 7, 12:00 | 17.1N 42.1W | 35 kt | 1005 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 7, 18:00 | 17.3N 42.3W | 35 kt | 1005 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 8, 00:00 | 17.6N 42.4W | 40 kt | 1004 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 8, 06:00 | 17.9N 42.6W | 45 kt | 1000 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 8, 12:00 | 18.3N 43.0W | 50 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 8, 18:00 | 18.6N 43.7W | 50 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 9, 00:00 | 18.9N 44.5W | 50 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 9, 06:00 | 19.2N 45.2W | 50 kt | 997 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 9, 12:00 | 19.6N 46.0W | 50 kt | 996 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 9, 18:00 | 20.0N 46.8W | 50 kt | 996 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 10, 00:00 | 20.4N 47.6W | 50 kt | 996 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 10, 06:00 | 20.8N 48.3W | 50 kt | 996 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 10, 12:00 | 21.3N 48.9W | 45 kt | 998 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 10, 18:00 | 21.8N 49.6W | 45 kt | 998 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 11, 00:00 | 22.3N 50.3W | 50 kt | 994 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 11, 06:00 | 22.8N 51.1W | 55 kt | 991 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 11, 12:00 | 23.4N 52.1W | 55 kt | 990 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 11, 18:00 | 24.3N 53.1W | 55 kt | 989 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 12, 00:00 | 25.4N 54.3W | 60 kt | 987 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 12, 06:00 | 26.4N 55.6W | 60 kt | 986 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 12, 12:00 | 27.3N 56.7W | 60 kt | 985 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 12, 18:00 | 28.0N 57.8W | 60 kt | 984 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 13, 00:00 | 28.6N 59.1W | 65 kt | 981 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 13, 06:00 | 29.1N 60.3W | 65 kt | 980 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 13, 12:00 | 29.6N 61.4W | 70 kt | 976 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 13, 18:00 | 30.2N 62.6W | 75 kt | 974 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 14, 00:00 | 30.9N 63.6W | 75 kt | 974 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 14, 06:00 | 31.8N 64.4W | 80 kt | 973 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 14, 08:50 landfall | 32.3N 64.7W | 85 kt | 971 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 14, 12:00 | 32.9N 64.9W | 85 kt | 968 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 14, 18:00 | 33.9N 64.4W | 90 kt | 965 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 15, 00:00 | 35.1N 63.3W | 90 kt | 965 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 15, 06:00 | 36.3N 62.0W | 90 kt | 965 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 15, 12:00 | 37.6N 59.5W | 90 kt | 965 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 15, 18:00 | 38.7N 56.7W | 85 kt | 966 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 16, 00:00 | 40.0N 54.0W | 85 kt | 966 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 16, 06:00 | 41.2N 50.8W | 80 kt | 968 mb | Hurricane |
| Sep 16, 12:00 | 42.6N 46.9W | 75 kt | 973 mb | Extratropical |
| Sep 16, 18:00 | 44.3N 43.1W | 70 kt | 974 mb | Extratropical |
| Sep 17, 00:00 | 45.9N 39.3W | 65 kt | 975 mb | Extratropical |
| Sep 17, 06:00 | 47.0N 36.5W | 60 kt | 977 mb | Extratropical |
| Sep 17, 12:00 | 47.0N 34.5W | 55 kt | 979 mb | Extratropical |
| Sep 17, 18:00 | 46.6N 33.0W | 50 kt | 982 mb | Extratropical |
| Sep 18, 00:00 | 46.0N 31.8W | 45 kt | 986 mb | Extratropical |
| Sep 18, 06:00 | 44.6N 31.4W | 45 kt | 989 mb | Extratropical |
| Sep 18, 12:00 | 42.8N 31.3W | 40 kt | 997 mb | Extratropical |
| Sep 18, 18:00 | 41.0N 31.2W | 40 kt | 999 mb | Extratropical |
| Sep 19, 00:00 | 39.1N 31.1W | 40 kt | 1002 mb | Extratropical |
| Sep 19, 06:00 | 37.7N 31.1W | 40 kt | 1002 mb | Low |
| Sep 19, 12:00 | 36.5N 30.5W | 40 kt | 1006 mb | Low |
| Sep 19, 18:00 | 35.9N 29.8W | 35 kt | 1008 mb | Low |
| Sep 20, 00:00 | 35.7N 29.5W | 35 kt | 1008 mb | Low |
| Sep 20, 06:00 | 35.5N 29.4W | 35 kt | 1008 mb | Low |
| Sep 20, 12:00 | 35.1N 29.7W | 35 kt | 1008 mb | Low |
| Sep 20, 18:00 | 34.7N 30.6W | 35 kt | 1008 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 21, 00:00 | 34.1N 31.2W | 35 kt | 1008 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 21, 06:00 | 33.3N 31.2W | 35 kt | 1008 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 21, 12:00 | 32.9N 29.8W | 35 kt | 1008 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 21, 18:00 | 33.3N 28.1W | 40 kt | 1008 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 22, 00:00 | 33.8N 26.3W | 50 kt | 1004 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 22, 06:00 | 34.5N 24.6W | 50 kt | 1002 mb | Tropical storm |
| Sep 22, 12:00 | 34.8N 23.1W | 40 kt | 1004 mb | Low |
| Sep 22, 18:00 | 34.7N 21.8W | 35 kt | 1006 mb | Low |
| Sep 23, 00:00 | 34.8N 20.5W | 35 kt | 1006 mb | Low |
| Sep 23, 06:00 | 35.0N 19.2W | 40 kt | 1006 mb | Low |
| Sep 23, 12:00 | 35.6N 18.1W | 45 kt | 1003 mb | Low |
| Sep 23, 18:00 | 36.2N 17.2W | 45 kt | 1003 mb | Low |
| Sep 24, 00:00 | 36.2N 16.7W | 40 kt | 1008 mb | Low |
| Sep 24, 06:00 | 35.9N 16.6W | 35 kt | 1010 mb | Low |
| Sep 24, 12:00 | 35.4N 17.2W | 35 kt | 1012 mb | Low |
| Sep 24, 18:00 | 34.6N 18.4W | 35 kt | 1013 mb | Low |
| Sep 25, 00:00 | 33.7N 19.8W | 35 kt | 1016 mb | Low |
| Sep 25, 06:00 | 33.4N 21.4W | 30 kt | 1017 mb | Low |
| Sep 25, 12:00 | 33.0N 23.2W | 30 kt | 1017 mb | Low |
| Sep 25, 18:00 | 33.0N 25.1W | 30 kt | 1017 mb | Low |
| Sep 26, 00:00 | 33.2N 26.8W | 30 kt | 1017 mb | Low |
| Sep 26, 06:00 | 33.7N 28.4W | 25 kt | 1017 mb | Low |
| Sep 26, 12:00 | 34.6N 29.5W | 25 kt | 1017 mb | Low |
| Sep 26, 18:00 | 35.4N 30.2W | 25 kt | 1017 mb | Low |
| Sep 27, 00:00 | 36.3N 30.3W | 25 kt | 1017 mb | Low |
| Sep 27, 06:00 | 36.7N 29.5W | 25 kt | 1017 mb | Low |
| Sep 27, 12:00 | 37.0N 28.4W | 25 kt | 1017 mb | Low |
| Sep 27, 18:00 | 36.9N 27.3W | 20 kt | 1018 mb | Low |
| Sep 28, 00:00 | 36.8N 26.4W | 20 kt | 1018 mb | Low |
| Sep 28, 06:00 | 36.5N 25.8W | 20 kt | 1018 mb | Low |
| Sep 28, 12:00 | 36.1N 25.5W | 20 kt | 1018 mb | Low |
Other North Atlantic storms of 2020
- Tropical Storm ArthurNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm BerthaNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm CristobalNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 6 deaths · $310 million
- Tropical Storm DollyNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm EdouardNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm FayNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 2 deaths · $220 million
- Tropical Storm GonzaloNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Hurricane HannaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 4 deaths · $1.1 billion
- Hurricane IsaiasNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 12 deaths · $5.0 billion
- Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm JosephineNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm KyleNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Hurricane LauraNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 47 deaths · $19 billion
- Hurricane MarcoNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm OmarNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Hurricane NanaNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm ReneNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Hurricane SallyNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 4 deaths · $7.3 billion
- Hurricane TeddyNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 2 deaths · $20 million
- Tropical Storm VickyNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm AlphaNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm WilfredNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Tropical Storm BetaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · $225 million
- Hurricane GammaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 6 deaths
- Hurricane DeltaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 2 deaths · $2.9 billion
- Hurricane EpsilonNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 1 death
- Hurricane ZetaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 5 deaths · $4.4 billion
- Hurricane EtaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 172 deaths · $1.5 billion
- Tropical Storm ThetaNorth Atlantic · 2020
- Hurricane IotaNorth Atlantic · 2020 · 67 deaths
What this means
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.
Sources
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.