Tropical Storm Alpha was the 23rd tropical or subtropical storm of the extremely active 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It developed from Tropical Depression Twenty-Five in the eastern Caribbean Sea on October 22, 2005. As the 21 pre-designated storm names had been exhausted, it was given the first name on the auxiliary list, which utilized the letters of the Greek alphabet. This was the first hurricane season ever to trigger this naming protocol, and the only one until the 2020 season. During its brief life, Alpha moved west-northwestward and reached its peak intensity on October 23, but weakened as it neared landfall in the Dominican Republic that same day. Crossing the island of Hispaniola it weakened to a tropical depression, and persisted until October 24, when it dissipated. Its remnant low was absorbed by Hurricane Wilma's large circulation. Alpha dumped torrential rain on the island of Hispaniola, making it the eighth wettest storm to impact poverty-stricken Haiti. It caused 26 deaths, 17 of them in Haiti, and all of them caused by floods and rain-related landslides. Roads were blocked for weeks and hundreds of houses were destroyed. Meteorological history Alpha's origins were from a tropical wave that developed near the Windward Islands on October 20. Satellite images indicated that a low pressure center associated with the tropical wave formed near Barbados and moved west-northwest with increasing convective activity. In an area of light wind shear, the convection increased and Doppler weather radar data from Puerto Rico detected a well-defined cyclonic circulation. On October 22, the area of low pressure organized into Tropical Depression Twenty-five, southeast of Hispaniola. Shortly thereafter, satellite imagery indicated that a closed circulation had developed, and the associated convection had started banding. Later that same day, the depression had organized enough to be upgraded to Tropical Storm Alpha; this was the first time the National Hurricane Center had to use a Greek name for an Atlantic hurricane. When Alpha came within the Doppler weather radar range of Puerto Rico, the radar suggested that an eyewall-like feature had developed. Alpha was tracking along the southwest edge of a subtropical ridge. With nearby Hurricane Wilma's large circulation, Alpha was experiencing strong southerly flow from Wilma. Alpha, with its small circulation, was then faced with the mountainous terrain of Hispaniola, which led forecasters to believe Alpha was soon to dissipate. Shortly after Alpha reached its peak intensity on October 23 its