Hurricane Central

Hurricane Gert Was a Wave Generator For US and Canada East Coasts (RECAP)

At a Glance

Gert was the strongest hurricane of the season so far.
Hurricane Gert became the first Category 2 of the season on Aug. 16.
Gert remained well off the East Coast of the U.S. and Atlantic Canada.
However, swells affected parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts and Atlantic Canada.
One person died as a result of Gert's hurricane-generated swells in Massachusetts.

Hurricane Gert, the second hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, was the strongest hurricane of the season so far, and also became the first Category 2 of the season on Aug. 16.

Late afternoon Aug. 13, Gert became the seventh named storm of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season approximately halfway between Bermuda, the Bahamas and the southeast U.S. coast. This came about a day after first being deemed a tropical depression well east of the Bahamas on Aug. 12.

Only three other years had seven or more tropical storms by Aug. 13: 1936, 1995 and 2005.

(MORE: Hurricane Central)

Gert remained well off the East Coast of the U.S. and Atlantic Canada, with increased wave action the only indirect impact.

Hurricane Gert generated swells that affected areas from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to southeastern New England, coastal Maine and Atlantic Canada.

Dangerous rip currents accompanied the hurricane-generated swells, as well. A man drowned in heavy surf created by Hurricane Gert off Nobadeer Beach in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Aug. 16.

(NEWS: Hurricane Gert Whips Up Strong Waves Off East Coast; 1 Dead in Massachusetts)

Late afternoon Aug. 17, Gert degenerated to a non-tropical area of low pressure.