| Subtropical storm (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Bettina gaining strength in the Gulf Stream. |
||
| Formed | July 31 | |
| Dissipated | August 3 | |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy | 2.7 (estimated) | |
| Highest winds | 45 (mph) | |
| Lowest pressure | 999 (millibars) | |
| Damages | $300,000 (2044 USD) | |
| Direct Fatalities | 3 | |
| Indirect Fatalities | 1 | |
| Missing | 4 | |
| Areas affected | Georgia (Savannah), South Carolina, North Carolina | |
| Part of the 2044 Atlantic hurricane season | ||
Subtropical Storm Bettina affected a portion of the Southeastern United States in August 2044. It was the second named storm of the 2044 Atlantic hurricane season. It was a short lived storm before it dissipated.
Meteorological history[]
During the last several days of July, a thunderstorm developed over the Florida Peninsula. It stalled over the peninsula for about three days before exiting into the Atlantic Ocean. Once exiting into the vast ocean, it entered the Gulf Stream, where the National Hurricane Center (NHC) gave it a low chance of development. The tropical wave kept gaining strength over the warm Gulf Stream waters, prompting the NHC to upgrade the disturbance's chance of forming to medium. The currents of the Gulf Stream let this particular wave gain more power. It eventually came to the point where the disturbance was classified as Subtropical Storm Bettina by the NHC on July 31, skipping subtropical depression status. Although Bettina quickly got named, its proximity to land never let it strengthen beyond 45 miles per hour (mph). The subtropical storm reached a peak pressure of 999 millibars on August 2, about twelve hours before it made a landfall near Savannah, Georgia, on the evening of August 2. It weakened to a subtropical depression over South Carolina, and could be clearly indentified to a point near Charlotte, North Carolina, where it dissipated on August 3.
Preparations and impact[]
The disturbance that ultimately became Subtropical Storm Bettina caused no damage over Florida, but did bring much needed precipitation to the Miami, Florida area.
A tropical storm warning was put up for the East Coast between Jacksonville, Florida, and Wilmington, North Carolina once Bettina was named. As it got closer to land, the warning area was shrunk down to the area between Charleston, South Carolina, and Cape Fear, North Carolina.
Rip currents caused by Bettina killed three surfers, two in West Palm Beach, Florida and the other in Jupiter, Florida. In addition, four people were listed as missing. As Bettina made landfall, it pushed a minor, 3 feet storm surge into Savannah, causing minor flooding in the area. The water caused an indirect death when a car unintentionally drove onto a flooded street and got swept away into the ocean. A weak EF0 tornado touched down in the farmlands of South Carolina, but caused no deaths or damage. Elsewhere, no damage was reported.
Due to the minimal damage caused, the name Bettina was not retired.