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Tropical Weather Summary (Text)

000
ABNT30 KNHC 031432 CCA
TWSAT 

MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
800 AM EDT WED OCT 1 2008
 
...CORRECTED FOR MONTH IN GUSTAV PARAGRAPH...

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...

TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY DURING SEPTEMBER WAS NEAR AVERAGE...WITH
FOUR NAMED TROPICAL CYCLONES FORMING...OF WHICH TWO WERE HURRICANES
AND ONE A MAJOR HURRICANE. ON AVERAGE...FOUR NAMED TROPICAL
CYCLONES FORM DURING SEPTEMBER...WITH TWO BECOMING HURRICANES AND
ONE STRENGTHENING INTO A MAJOR HURRICANE.  HURRICANES GUSTAV AND
HANNA...WHICH FORMED IN AUGUST...WERE ALSO ACTIVE DURING THE MONTH
OF SEPTEMBER.

GUSTAV MADE LANDFALL ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST NEAR COCODRIE
LOUISIANA ON 1 SEPTEMBER AS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE. AFTER
LANDFALL...GUSTAV WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION OVER
NORTHWESTERN LOUISIANA ON 2 SEPTEMBER...THEN BECAME EXTRATROPICAL
OVER THE MID-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ON 4 SEPTEMBER. THE GUSTAV REMNANT
LOW WAS ABSORBED OVER THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES ON 5 SEPTEMBER. DAMAGE
ASSOCIATED WITH GUSTAV WAS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED IN THE AUGUST
MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY.

HANNA WAS A TROPICAL STORM CENTERED ABOUT 150 MILES NORTH OF GRAND
TURK ISLAND AS SEPTEMBER BEGAN. HANNA BEGAN MOVING SOUTHWESTWARD
AND QUICKLY STRENGTHENED REACHING HURRICANE STATUS DURING THE
AFTERNOON OF 1 SEPTEMBER. HANNA REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 80 MPH
AS ITS CENTER PASSED OVER PORTIONS OVER THE CAICOS ISLANDS THE NEXT
DAY. STRONG SHEAR WEAKENED THE HURRICANE LATER THAT DAY AS IT
CONTINUED TO MOVE VERY SLOWLY SOUTHWARD.  OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO
HANNA WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM AND MADE A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE
LOOP BETWEEN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE NORTHERN COAST OF
HISPANIOLA. HANNA THEN MOVED NORTH OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
LATE ON 3 SEPTEMBER...AND BEGAN MOVING NORTHWESTWARD...PASSING JUST
EAST OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON 4 SEPTEMBER. THE NEXT DAY...THE
CYCLONE MOVED JUST EAST OF THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS AND THEN TURNED
NORTHWARD...PASSING ABOUT 150 MILES EAST OF THE COAST OF NORTH
FLORIDA. HANNA ACCELERATED NORTHWARD AND MADE LANDFALL WITH 70 MPH
WINDS DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF 6 SEPTEMBER NEAR THE BORDER
OF NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA. HANNA WEAKENED BUT REMAINED A TROPICAL
STORM AS IT PASSED OVER NORTH CAROLINA AND EASTERN VIRGINIA. HANNA
TURNED NORTHEASTWARD AND MOVED ALONG THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST. THE
STORM MADE ANOTHER LANDFALL OVER LONG ISLAND AND EXITED THE COAST
OF MASSACHUSETTS EARLY ON 7 SEPTEMBER. AFTER MOVING INTO THE
ATLANTIC HANNA QUICKLY LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS. THE
EXTRATROPICAL REMNANTS OF HANNA MOVED ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN
CANADA...THEN TURNED EASTWARD AND MOVED OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC
DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THE LOW PASSED JUST WEST OF IRELAND
ON 10 SEPTEMBER...THEN TURNED NORTHWARD AND MOVED INTO ICELAND ON
12 SEPTEMBER BEFORE DISSIPATING LATER THAT DAY.

PRELIMINARY REPORTS INDICATE THAT HANNA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL IN HAITI THAT RESULTED IN AT LEAST 175 DEATHS.
DAMAGE INFORMATION FROM THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS REMAINS
INCOMPLETE AT THIS TIME. IN THE UNITED STATES...HANNA PRODUCED
MINOR DAMAGE FROM THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE CAROLINAS NORTHWARD
THROUGH EASTERN NEW ENGLAND.
 
IKE WAS A MAJOR CAPE VERDE HURRICANE THAT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE
AND MANY DEATHS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN AND ALONG THE
COASTS OF TEXAS AND LOUISIANA. IKE ORIGINATED FROM A WELL-DEFINED
TROPICAL WAVE THAT MOVED OFF THE COAST OF WEST AFRICA ON 28 AUGUST
AND BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 1 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 1470 MILES
EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. THE DEPRESSION QUICKLY STRENGTHENED TO
A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY BUT THEN WENT THROUGH A MORE
GRADUAL INTENSIFICATION FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS AS IT MOVED
WEST-NORTHWEST OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC. IKE BECAME A HURRICANE
ON 3 SEPTEMBER AND RAPIDLY INTENSIFIED TO A MAJOR HURRICANE LATER
THAT DAY. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING CONTINUED...TO CATEGORY 4
STATUS...AS IKE ACHIEVED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 145 MPH ON 4 SEPTEMBER
WHEN IT WAS LOCATED 550 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.
THEREAFTER...NORTHEASTERLY SHEAR INCREASED OVER THE SYSTEM WHEN
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILT OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC...AND IKE
WEAKENED A BIT AS IT MOVED WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD FROM 5-6 SEPTEMBER.
THE WEAKENING TREND WAS SHORT-LIVED...AND IKE REGAINED CATEGORY 4
STATUS JUST BEFORE MOVING ACROSS THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND
GREAT INAGUA ISLAND IN THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS EARLY ON 7
SEPTEMBER. 

IKE CONTINUED WESTWARD AND MADE LANDFALL ALONG THE NORTHEAST COAST
OF CUBA IN THE PROVINCE OF HOLGUIN EARLY ON 8 SEPTEMBER WITH
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ESTIMATED TO BE 125 MPH. IKE THEN MOVED
ACROSS EASTERN CUBA FOR SEVERAL HOURS...RE-EMERGED OFF THE SOUTH
COAST LATER THAT DAY...AND MAINTAINED CATEGORY 1 STATUS AS IT MOVED
WEST-NORTHWEST ALONG THE SOUTH COAST OF CUBA. IKE MADE A SECOND
LANDFALL IN CUBA OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE PROVINCE
OF PINAR DEL RIO ON 9 SEPTEMBER WITH WINDS OF 80 MPH...AND MOVED
INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO LATER THAT DAY. 

IKE DEVELOPED A LARGE WIND FIELD AS IT MOVED NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS
THE GULF OF MEXICO OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS AND GRADUALLY
INTENSIFIED AS IT APPROACHED THE TEXAS COAST. IKE MADE LANDFALL
ALONG THE NORTH END OF GALVESTON ISLAND IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
OF 13 SEPTEMBER AS A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE...WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 110 MPH. THE HURRICANE WEAKENED AS IT MOVED INLAND ACROSS
EASTERN TEXAS AND ARKANSAS AND THEN TOWARD THE OHIO VALLEY...WHERE
ITS EXTRATROPICAL REMNANTS PRODUCED WIND GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT FLOODING AND MUD SLIDES FROM IKE KILLED 74
PEOPLE IN HAITI AND 2 IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. NO DEATHS WERE
REPORTED IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND SOUTHEAST
BAHAMAS...ALTHOUGH ABOUT 70 TO 80 PERCENT OF THE HOUSES ON GREAT
INAGUA ISLAND SUSTAINED SOME DAMAGE. IKE ALSO CAUSED EXTENSIVE WIND
AND STORM SURGE DAMAGE AS IT CROSSED THE ISLAND OF CUBA...WHERE 7
DEATHS WERE REPORTED. ALTHOUGH IKE PRODUCED SOME WIND DAMAGE ACROSS
SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...THE DESTRUCTION FROM
STORM SURGE WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ASPECT OF THE HURRICANE...
PARTICULARLY ALONG THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA EAST OF GALVESTON.
PRELIMINARY MEDIA REPORTS INDICATE THAT THERE WERE 8 DIRECT DEATHS
FROM IKE...6 OF WHICH WERE FROM DROWNING IN STORM SURGE. AS OF THE
END OF THE MONTH THERE WERE STILL ABOUT 400 MISSING PERSONS FROM
THE HOUSTON/GALVESTON AREA. THE REMNANTS OF IKE ALSO CAUSED WIND
DAMAGE AND SEVERAL DOZEN INDIRECT DEATHS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE
MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO VALLEYS.

JOSEPHINE DEVELOPED FROM A WELL-ORGANIZED TROPICAL WAVE THAT
DEPARTED THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA EARLY ON 1 SEPTEMBER.  A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION FORMED EARLY ON THE NEXT DAY...LOCATED ABOUT 170
MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. THE DEPRESSION
BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATER ON 2 SEPTEMBER AS THE SYSTEM WAS
MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD. JOSEPHINE REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 65
MPH ON 3 SEPTEMBER WHILE THE SYSTEM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 305 MILES
WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. THEREAFTER...A
COMBINATION OF MODERATE TO STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY WIND SHEAR AND
COOLING WATERS CAUSED THE STORM TO SLOWLY WEAKEN DURING THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS.  EARLY ON 6 SEPTEMBER...JOSEPHINE WEAKENED TO A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION AND SIX HOURS LATER DISSIPATED AS A
TROPICAL CYCLONE BECAUSE IT WAS UNABLE TO GENERATE DEEP CONVECTION.
THE REMNANT LOW OF JOSEPHINE CONTINUED MOVING TO THE WEST FOR THE
NEXT SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE DISSIPATING SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES EAST OF
THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.

KYLE ORIGINATED FROM AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE THAT FORMED IN THE
WINDWARD ISLANDS ON 19 SEPTEMBER. THE LOW MOVED SLOWLY TOWARD THE
NORTHWEST AND THEN DRIFTED OVER WESTERN PUERTO RICO AND THE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAINS
AND PLENTY OF DAMAGE OVER PUERTO RICO DUE TO FLASH FLOODS. ONCE THE
LOW MOVED NORTHWARD AWAY FROM HISPANIOLA IT DEVELOPED A
WELL-DEFINED CENTER AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATE ON 25
SEPTEMBER.  KYLE MOVED ON A GENERAL NORTHWARD TRACK AND PASSED WELL
TO THE WEST OF BERMUDA ON THE MORNING OF 27 SEPTEMBER AND BECAME A
HURRICANE LATER ON THAT DAY. KYLE ACCELERATED NORTHWARD WITH NO
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH AND MOVED OVER WESTERN NOVA SCOTIA
LATE ON 28 SEPTEMBER. IT CONTINUED NORTHWARD AND LOST TROPICAL
CHARACTERISTICS AS IT APPROACHED NEW BRUNSWICK. THE EFFECTS OF KYLE
IN CANADA ARE STILL BEING EVALUATED.

LAURA ORIGINATED FROM A NON-TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE
CENTRAL NORTH ATLANTIC.  IT FORMED AS A SUBTROPICAL STORM WITH 60
MPH WINDS EARLY ON 29 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 1000 MILES WEST OF THE
WESTERNMOST AZORES ISLANDS.  LAURA INITIALLY MOVED WEST-
NORTHWESTWARD BUT IT SOON TURNED NORTHWARD.  ON 30 SEPTEMBER...THE
SYSTEM MADE THE TRANSITION TO A TROPICAL STORM.  AT MONTH'S
END...LAURA'S WAS BEGINNING TO LOSE TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS OVER
THE COLD WATERS OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC A FEW HUNDRED MILES SOUTHEAST
OF NEWFOUNDLAND.  

SUMMARY TABLE

NAME            DATES             MAX WIND (MPH)         DEATHS
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MH GUSTAV     25 AUG -  2 SEP          150                122
H  HANNA      28 AUG -  7 SEP           80                175*
MH IKE         1 SEP - 14 SEP          145                 92*
TS JOSEPHINE   2 SEP -  6 SEP           65
H  KYLE       25 SEP - 29 SEP           80  
TS LAURA      29 SEP -                  60
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MH DENOTES MAJOR HURRICANE...CATEGORY 3 OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR-
SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE.  * DENOTES INCOMPLETE DATA

NOTE...DATES BASED ON COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC)
 
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HURRICANE SPECIALISTS UNIT