Hurricane Ernesto was the costliest tropical cyclone of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season. The sixth tropical storm and first hurricane of the season, Ernesto developed from a tropical wave on August 24 in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Ernesto first affected the northern Caribbean, reaching minimal hurricane status near Haiti before weakening and moving across eastern Cuba as a tropical storm. Despite initial predictions for it to track through the eastern Gulf of Mexico as a major hurricane, Ernesto moved across eastern Florida as a weak tropical storm. After turning to the northeast, it re-intensified and made landfall on August 31 on the North Carolina coast just below hurricane status. Late the next day, Ernesto became extratropical after entering southern Virginia. The remnants spread moisture across the northeastern United States before dissipating over eastern Canada on September 4. Category 1 hurricane: peak winds of 75 mph (65 knots), lowest pressure 985 mb. August 24 – September 4, 2006. Landfalls: August 28 at 40 mph, 19.9°N 75.5°W; August 30 at 45 mph, 24.9°N 80.6°W; August 30 at 45 mph, 25.2°N 80.7°W; September 1 at 70 mph, 33.9°N 78.1°W. Accumulated cyclone energy: 5.7. Wiki link Track: NOAA National Hurricane Center, HURDAT2 best track AL062006 (public domain).