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Tropical Storm Don 2017 Recap | The Weather Channel

Tropical Storm Don 2017 Recap

Track history in July 2017
Track history of Tropical Storm Don from July 17-18, 2017.

Tropical Storm Don didn't last long, but did manage to become a relatively early fourth named storm and did lead to some flash flooding in a few areas.

(MORE: Hurricane Central)

Don became the fourth named storm of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season on July 17, as it was about 500 miles east of Barbados, after a hurricane hunter mission found a small low pressure circulation with winds of tropical storm force.

(MORE: No, It Wasn't Named For Trump)

This occurred almost five weeks ahead of the average fourth named Atlantic storm date, according to National Hurricane Center statistics.

(MORE: Early Activity an Indication of a Busy Season Ahead?)

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Less than 24 hours later, Don was already weakening, thanks to the twin nemeses of wind shear – the change in wind speed and/or direction with height – and dry air.

Just 36 hours after first being named, Tropical Storm Don degenerated into a tropical wave just before midnight EDT on July 18. 

(MORE: The Last Tropical Storm Don, in 2011, One of Strangest Landfalls We've Seen)

Flash flooding was reported in a few spots in Trinidad and Tobago on July 18, even as Don's circulation was weakening.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Retired Atlantic Hurricane and Tropical Storm Names

Milton tied 2005's Rita for the strongest Gulf hurricane by pressure (895 millibars). It then slammed into western Florida just two weeks after Helene, with 6 to 10 feet of storm surge and up to 20 inches of rain. Milton also spawned over 40 tornadoes in Florida, the state's largest modern-era outbreak. Thirty-nine were killed in the U.S. both during the storm and in its aftermath, with an estimated $34 billion damage. (Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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HURRICANE MILTON (2024)

Milton tied 2005's Rita for the strongest Gulf hurricane by pressure (895 millibars). It then slammed into western Florida just two weeks after Helene, with 6 to 10 feet of storm surge and up to 20 inches of rain. Milton also spawned over 40 tornadoes in Florida, the state's largest modern-era outbreak. Thirty-nine were killed in the U.S. both during the storm and in its aftermath, with an estimated $34 billion damage. (Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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