A bird's-eye view of the waterspout Alex produced
Hurricane Alex was an early-developing hurricane over the Atlantic Ocean. It formed in the month of January in 2016, one of the only tropical cyclones ever recorded to do so. At its peak, it was a Category 5 Hurricane, with torrential thunderstorms, extensive winds, and at least one confirmed tornado, most likely costing millions in damage on the East Coast of the United States and the Southern Caribbean. The death toll due to Alex is unknown.
Meteorological History
Not much has been revealed about Hurricane Alex's history before it became a Category 3 hurricane.
As a Category 3, Alex, traveling fast in a south-southwest direction, caused major damage to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the northern part of South America. The eye did not make landfall on South America, however, as it had veered off course and began traveling north from its current position. It strengthened into a Category 4, with winds topping at 120 knots.
Alex made landfall on Cuba in the afternoon hours of January 17, 2016 as a Category 4, and continued its northern trek. It reached Florida, but did not make landfall, in the late evening/early morning. It then made it to Georgia and South Carolina, again not making landfall, on January 18 as a deadly Category 5, winds reaching 135 knots and up.
As a Category 5, a violent tornadic waterspout (potentially with the effects of an EF3 tornado or above) was observed off the coast of Georgia. It remained on the water for about 20–30 minutes, and did not make landfall, causing little to no damage.
After reaching South Carolina, it is unknown what became of Alex. It is likely that it dissipated before it reached the Northeast, or was still a Tropical Storm or Category 1 by the time it made it there.
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
Hurricane Alex had a major role in the final stages of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.
The Search for NRF
Two aircraft carriers from the United States Navy were searching in the Southern Caribbean for the hiding spot of Markov, the NRF forces, and the final Trinity missile. Since Alex was active in the region, and strengthening from Category 3 to Category 4, it is likely that the aircraft carriers had to dock in a Cuban port, ending their search until Alex left the region in the morning of January 18, when it had left for Florida. But the NRF was already gone.
Home Front
Colonel William Bishop and the 108th Task Force, which included the Warwolf, Tiger, Coyote, Shooter, and Nomad Squadrons, were all in the air over the Florida skies after Alex had left, protecting Miami from the NRF planes. Alex's clouds were quite visible even from here, as noted by Warwolf 2: "Bitch of a storm out there. Look at those CBs." Markov appeared with the final Trinity cruise missile, and shot Warwolf 2 down, who still managed to bail out thanks to Bishop, who got a missile hit on Markov and damaged the Trinity missile. Markov fled the battle zone and flew towards Washington, D.C. to set off Trinity there. Warwolf Squadron turned over Warwolf 2 to Nomad Squadron, refueled in mid-air, and followed Markov straight into Hurricane Alex.
Hurricane
Alex attained Category 5 status by the time Markov was joined by his friend Sergei Illich and Warwolf Squadron caught up to them. Illich stayed behind in a tornadic waterspout Alex had produced, to keep Warwolf at bay so Markov could keep going to Washington, D.C. Despite being in a hurricane and a tornado, Illich's PAK-FA seemed to retain its stealth capabilities for a few minutes at a time (whereas the radio had a lot of static noise, even for Magic). Warwolf Squadron noticed considerable changes in their flying and visibility. Warwolf 3 had taken the blunt, nearly losing his radar and his entire plane. Warwolf 1 still managed to shoot down Illich, and all allies kept going north to protect Washington. From there on, Alex was no longer a threat.
Trivia
- An Xbox LIVE Achievement (20 Gamer Points) or PlayStation Network Trophy (Bronze) is awarded, with the title "Category 5," for completing the Hurricane mission in the campaign of Assault Horizon.
- Very few cyclones have been recorded to form in the Atlantic during the month of January, because of the lower temperatures of the water. Were Hurricane Alex real, it would have been the first major hurricane, second hurricane and the third tropical cyclone recorded in the Atlantic Ocean to form in January.
- thumb|300px|right|A demo of taking out the tornado with TrinityAn easter egg exists in the Hurricane mission where the tornado spawned by Alex can be destroyed. Firing a Trinity missile in the water in the middle of the tornado will annihilate it. This would be unrealistic, but possible in real life; Trinity causes an intense shockwave, which could possibly stop the circulation of air within a tornado, making it disappear. Chances are the disappearance would be limited, as the flow of air in a Category 5 hurricane would be too large to halt even with Trininty.