was the second most destructive storm of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the sixth storm to make landfall in the United States this season. It also would affect six different countries, more than any other hurricane in years, and more than any other hurricane since. It was the only known Cape Verde-type hurricane to form in the 1998 season.
Georges became a major hurricane early in the afternoon on September 19 with 125 mph (200 km/h) winds. Shipping reports estimated that the storm had winds of 150 mph by 11:00 P.M. that night.
The next day, hurricane hunter data showed that the storm was weakened slightly to 135 mph. Georges was now nearing the Leeward Islands. However, the storm strayed north of the islands and headed towards Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and Cuba. |