Storm history › Atlantic › 1998 season
Hurricane Earl (1998)
Earl was a Category 2 hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic season. It was tracked from August 31, 1998 to September 8, 1998, about 8 days, and covered 4,300 miles.
At its peak it had winds of 100 mph (155 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 964 mb.
It made landfall once, near Panama City, United States.
Its closest pass to a major city was 40 miles from Virginia Beach, United States.
- Peak wind
- 100 mph
- Lowest pressure
- 964 mb
- Strongest
- Category 2 hurricane
- Landfalls
- 1
- Duration
- 8 days
- Track length
- 4,300 mi
- Energy (ACE)
- 3.9
DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5
Landfalls
| # | Date (UTC) | Near | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 3, 1998 | Panama City, United States | 80 mph (130 km/h) |
Closest pass to major cities
| City | Closest pass |
|---|---|
| Virginia Beach, United States | 40 mi (64 km) |
| Raleigh, United States | 49 mi (79 km) |
| Charlotte, United States | 110 mi (177 km) |
| Jacksonville, United States | 139 mi (224 km) |
| Atlanta, United States | 145 mi (233 km) |
How it compares
- Peak winds: 515th highest of 2,017 Atlantic storms on record, tied with Hurricane Ernesto (2024), Hurricane Nigel (2023), Hurricane Arthur (2014) and 25 more.
- Lowest pressure: 313th lowest of 1,294 Atlantic storms with a recorded pressure, tied with Hurricane Bonnie (2022), Hurricane Michael (2012), Tropical Storm Chantal (2007) and 4 more.
- Energy: 2% of the 1998 Atlantic season's ACE.