937
ABNT30 KNHC 011438
TWSAT
MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
8 AM EST FRI DEC 01 2000
CORRECTED RETRANS
FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...
...SUMMARY OF THE 2000 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON...
OVERVIEW...
THERE WAS AN ABOVE-AVERAGE NUMBER OF TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES
DURING 2000. INCLUDING AN UNNAMED SUBTROPICAL STORM THAT OCCURRED
IN LATE OCTOBER...THERE WERE FIFTEEN CYCLONES OF AT LEAST TROPICAL
STORM STRENGTH...OF WHICH EIGHT BECAME HURRICANES. THE LONG-TERM
AVERAGES ARE TEN AND SIX...RESPECTIVELY. THREE OF THE HURRICANES...
ALBERTO...ISAAC...AND KEITH...HAD MAXIMUM WINDS GREATER THAN 110
MPH...CATEGORY THREE OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE
SCALE. IN ADDITION TO THESE SYSTEMS...THERE WERE FOUR TROPICAL
DEPRESSIONS.
TWO TROPICAL STORMS...GORDON AND HELENE...MADE LANDFALL IN NORTHERN
FLORIDA. HOWEVER...THERE WERE NO HURRICANE LANDFALLS IN THE U.S.
DURING 2000. HURRICANE KEITH MADE LANDFALL IN BELIZE AND IN
NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND WAS THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANE OF THE
SEASON.
SUMMARY TABLE
MIN U.S.
NAME DATES WIND (MPH) PRESS. DEATHS DAMAGE*
--------- --------------- ----------- ----- ------ --------
ALBERTO 3 AUG - 23 AUG 125 950 0
BERYL 13 AUG - 15 AUG 50 1007 1
CHRIS 17 AUG - 19 AUG 40 1008 0
DEBBY 19 AUG - 24 AUG 85 991 0 0.5
ERNESTO 1 SEP - 3 SEP 40 1008 0
FLORENCE 10 SEP - 17 SEP 80 985 3
GORDON 14 SEP - 18 SEP 75 981 24 10.8
HELENE 15 SEP - 25 SEP 70 986 1 16
ISAAC 21 SEP - 1 OCT 140 943 0
JOYCE 25 SEP - 2 OCT 90 975 0
KEITH 28 SEP - 6 OCT 140 939 19
LESLIE 4 OCT - 7 OCT 45 1006 0
MICHAEL 15 OCT - 19 OCT 100 965 0
NADINE 19 OCT - 21 OCT 60 999 0
UNNAMED ST 25 OCT - 29 OCT 65 976 0
* -- DAMAGE ESTIMATES IN MILLIONS
ST -- SUBTROPICAL STORM
SUMMARY OF INDIVIDUAL NAMED STORMS...
ALBERTO WAS THE THIRD LONGEST-LIVED TROPICAL CYCLONE EVER IN THE
ATLANTIC BASIN...AND THE LONGEST-LIVED CYCLONE EVER TO FORM DURING
AUGUST. IT FORMED IN THE EASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC JUST OFF THE
AFRICAN COAST ON AUGUST 3RD AND STRENGTHENED TO A TROPICAL STORM THE
NEXT DAY. ALBERTO MOVED WESTWARD TO WEST-NORTHWESTWARD FOR THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS...BECOMING A HURRICANE FOR THE FIRST TIME LATE ON THE
5TH. IT TURNED NORTHWESTWARD ON THE 8TH...WEAKENING TO A TROPICAL
STORM THE NEXT DAY. IT REGAINED HURRICANE STRENGTH ON THE 10TH AND
REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 125 MPH ON THE 12TH. DURING THIS
PERIOD ALBERTO BEGAN A LARGE...WEEK-LONG...CLOCKWISE LOOP BETWEEN
BERMUDA AND THE AZORES. DURING THE LOOP IT AGAIN WEAKENED INTO A
TROPICAL STORM AND THEN AGAIN RETURNED TO HURRICANE STATUS. ALBERTO
FINALLY BECAME EXTRATROPICAL ON THE 23RD WHILE HEADING NORTH-
NORTHEASTWARD ABOUT 780 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF REYKJAVIK ICELAND.
BERYL FORMED IN THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO ON THE AFTERNOON OF
AUGUST 13TH. AIRCRAFT RECONNAISSANCE INDICATED THAT BERYL REACHED
TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH ON THE MORNING OF THE 14TH. THE CIRCULATION
ENVELOPE OF BERYL WAS VERY LARGE WITH MULTIPLE CENTERS...PREVENTING
INTENSIFICATION. THE STORM MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AND MADE
LANDFALL IN NORTHEAST MEXICO AROUND MIDNIGHT ON THE 15TH WITH 50 MPH
WINDS. ONE DEATH WAS REPORTED IN NORTHEAST MEXICO ASSOCIATED WITH
FLOODING. NO DAMAGE ESTIMATES ARE AVAILABLE.
CHRIS DEVELOPED IN THE WESTERN ATLANTIC ABOUT 600 MILES EAST OF THE
LESSER ANTILLES ON AUGUST 17TH. THE DEPRESSION BRIEFLY REACHED
TROPICAL STORM STATUS EARLY IN THE MORNING OF THE 18TH. HOWEVER...
CHRIS WEAKENED RAPIDLY AS THE VERTICAL WIND SHEAR INCREASED AND IT
DISSIPATED ON THE 19TH.
DEBBY FORMED ON AUGUST 18TH ABOUT 1100 MILES EAST OF THE WINDWARD
ISLANDS AND STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM EARLY THE NEXT DAY.
THE STORM MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AND BECAME A HURRICANE EARLY ON
THE 21ST CENTERED ABOUT 500 MILES EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES...AND
REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 85 MPH THAT DAY. DEBBY MOVED WESTWARD
TOWARD THE NORTHEAST CARIBBEAN SEA...BUT TURNED BACK TOWARD THE
WEST-NORTHWEST AND PASSED OVER THE NORTHERNMOST LEEWARD ISLANDS AND
THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS EARLY ON THE 22ND. THE EYE OF DEBBY
PASSED 30 TO 40 MILES NORTH OF THE NORTHERN COAST OF PUERTO RICO
LATER ON THE 22ND. WHILE DEBBY TURNED BACK TOWARD THE WEST AND
APPROACHED THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC...VERTICAL
WIND SHEAR INCREASED AND THE SYSTEM WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM.
DEBBY TRACKED WESTWARD NEAR THE NORTHERN COAST OF HISPANIOLA...
WHERE THE COMBINATION OF SHEAR AND...POSSIBLY...THE RUGGED TERRAIN
OF THAT ISLAND FURTHER WEAKENED THE STORM. DEBBY CROSSED THE
WINDWARD PASSAGE AND MOVED JUST SOUTH OF THE SOUTH COAST OF EASTERN
CUBA ON THE 24TH...WHERE IT DISSIPATED. THERE WERE NO DIRECT DEATHS
ATTRIBUTED TO DEBBY. HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSED SOME DAMAGE IN PUERTO
RICO AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC...WITH $500,000 DOLLARS OF DAMAGE
REPORTED FROM PUERTO RICO.
ERNESTO FORMED ABOUT 840 MILES EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES ON
SEPTEMBER 1ST AND STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 2ND.
STRONG VERTICAL WIND SHEAR WEAKENED THE STORM AND ERNESTO
DETERIORATED INTO A TROPICAL WAVE ON THE 3RD.
FLORENCE DEVELOPED ABOUT 380 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE HATTERAS
NORTH CAROLINA ON SEPTEMBER 11TH. AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS
INDICATED THAT IT REACHED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH THE NEXT DAY. THE
STORM BRIEFLY ATTAINED HURRICANE STATUS ON THE 12TH BEFORE WEAKENING
TO A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY. FLORENCE MOVED LITTLE FOR THREE
DAYS...THEN TRAVELED NORTHEASTWARD QUICKLY AND REGAINED HURRICANE
STATUS ON THE 15TH...WITH PEAK WINDS OF 80 MPH ON THE 16TH. THE
HURRICANE THREATENED BERMUDA AND BROUGHT TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
TO THE ISLAND. FLORENCE MERGED WITH AN EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE SOUTH
OF NEWFOUNDLAND ON THE 17TH. SURF PRODUCED BY FLORENCE WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THREE DEATHS IN NORTH CAROLINA.
GORDON WAS THE FIRST U.S. LANDFALLING TROPICAL STORM OF THE SEASON.
IT FORMED NEAR THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA ON
SEPTEMBER 14TH AND DRIFTED NORTHWARD INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO...
DEVELOPING INTO A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY. GORDON MOVED
NORTHEASTWARD AND INTENSIFIED STEADILY...BECOMING A MINIMAL
HURRICANE WITH PEAK WINDS OF 75 MPH ON THE 19TH ABOUT 300 MILES
SOUTH OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA. VERTICAL WIND SHEAR WEAKENED GORDON
TO A 65-MPH TROPICAL STORM BEFORE IT MADE LANDFALL NEAR CEDAR KEY
FLORIDA ON THE EVENING OF THE 17TH. THE STORM DUMPED HEAVY RAIN IN
THE SOUTHEAST U.S. AS IT CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD...WITH A FEW
TORNADOES REPORTED ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH FLORIDA. GORDON MERGED
WITH A COLD FRONT OVER THE SOUTHEAST U.S. AND BECAME EXTRATROPICAL
ON THE 18TH. 24 DEATHS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO GORDON...MAINLY IN
GUATEMALA DUE TO FLOODING. DAMAGE ESTIMATES IN THE U.S. ARE NEAR
$11 MILLION.
THE TROPICAL DEPRESSION THAT EVENTUALLY SPAWNED HELENE FORMED ABOUT
470 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON SEPTEMBER 15TH. THE
DEPRESSION WEAKENED INTO A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE THE NEXT DAY BEFORE
REACHING THE CARIBBEAN. HOWEVER...THE NORTHEASTERN LEEWARD ISLANDS
REPORTED HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS AS THE WAVE MOVED WESTWARD
ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN ON THE 17TH. A TROPICAL DEPRESSION RE-FORMED
ON THE 19TH ABOUT 60 MILES NORTHEAST OF GRAND CAYMAN ISLAND. THE
SYSTEM MOVED INTO THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...WHERE AN AIR FORCE
RECONNAISSANCE PLANE INDICATED THAT A TROPICAL STORM HAD FORMED ON
THE 21ST. HELENE ACCELERATED TOWARD THE NORTH AND REACHED A MAXIMUM
INTENSITY OF 70 MPH LATER THAT DAY. HOWEVER...THE STORM WEAKENED
AND MADE LANDFALL NEAR FORT WALTON BEACH FLORIDA ON THE MORNING OF
THE 22ND WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 MPH. FLOODING WAS
REPORTED ACROSS THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND GEORGIA WITH 8-10 INCHES
OF RAIN RECORDED IN THE TALLAHASSEE AREA. THE STORM WEAKENED TO A
DEPRESSION AND MOVED NORTHEAST ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S.. HELENE
RE-INTENSIFIED OVER NORTH CAROLINA ON THE 23RD AND REGAINED TROPICAL
STORM STATUS AS IT REACHED THE ATLANTIC. THE REVIVED HELENE MOVED
RAPIDLY NORTHEASTWARD AND DEVELOPED PEAK WINDS OF 70 MPH ON THE
25TH. THE STORM WAS ABSORBED BY A COLD FRONT THE NEXT DAY. A
TORNADO ASSOCIATED WITH HELENE KILLED ONE PERSON IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
DAMAGE ESTIMATES IN THE U.S. ARE $16 MILLION.
ISAAC...THE SECOND MAJOR HURRICANE OF THE SEASON...DEVELOPED ABOUT
240 MILES SOUTH OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS ON SEPTEMBER 21ST. THE
DEPRESSION STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY AS IT
MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD. ISAAC RAPIDLY BECAME A HURRICANE ON THE
23RD AND STRENGTHENED FURTHER INTO A MAJOR HURRICANE LATER THAT
EVENING. THE STORM REMAINED A POWERFUL HURRICANE AS IT BEGAN TO
TURN MORE NORTHWESTWARD...REACHING A MAXIMUM INTENSITY OF 140 MPH ON
THE 28TH. THE HURRICANE RECURVED OUT TO SEA WELL EAST OF BERMUDA
AND BECAME EXTRATROPICAL OVER THE OPEN ATLANTIC ON OCTOBER 1ST.
EX-ISAAC CONTINUED AS A POTENT EXTRATROPICAL STORM FOR SEVERAL
DAYS...EVENTUALLY LASHING PORTIONS OF THE BRITISH ISLES.
JOYCE FORMED ABOUT 570 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS ON
SEPTEMBER 25TH. IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY WHILE
MOVING WESTWARD. SATELLITE ESTIMATES INDICATED THAT JOYCE BECAME A
HURRICANE ON THE 27TH WITH A PEAK INTENSITY OF 90 MPH. THE STORM
TURNED WEST-SOUTHWEST AND WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 29TH.
JOYCE MOVED THROUGH THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS AS A MINIMAL
TROPICAL STORM ON OCTOBER 1ST...AND THEN WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL WAVE
OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN ON THE 2ND. THERE ARE NO DEATHS
ATTRIBUTED TO JOYCE AND NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE.
KEITH FIRST BECAME A DEPRESSION ABOUT 60 MILES NORTHEAST OF CAPE
GRACIAS A DIOS NICARAGUA ON SEPTEMBER 28TH. AIRCRAFT RECONNAISSANCE
ON THE 29TH INDICATED THAT THE DEPRESSION HAD BECOME A TROPICAL
STORM AS IT MOVED SLOWLY NORTHWESTWARD. RAPID INTENSIFICATION
FOLLOWED...AND BY OCTOBER 1ST KEITH HAD PEAK WINDS OF 140 MPH...A
CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE...AND A MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 939 MB...OR 27.73 IN. KEITH STALLED AND
WEAKENED WHILE BATTERING THE COASTAL ISLANDS OF BELIZE ON THE 1ST
AND 2ND...EVENTUALLY MAKING LANDFALL IN MAINLAND BELIZE AS A
TROPICAL STORM ON THE 3RD. IT WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION WHILE
CROSSING THE YUCATAN PENINSULA LATER ON THE 3RD AND THE 4TH...THEN
REGAINED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH OVER THE BAY OF CAMPECHE LATER ON
THE 4TH. KEITH BECAME A HURRICANE AGAIN ON THE 5TH...WITH MAXIMUM
WINDS REACHING 90 MPH AT LANDFALL JUST NORTH OF TAMPICO MEXICO.
KEITH WEAKENED AGAIN AFTER LANDFALL AND DISSIPATED OVER NORTHEASTERN
MEXICO ON THE 6TH.
KEITH'S SLOW TRACK THROUGH THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN CAUSED
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL OVER BELIZE AND OTHER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
AMERICA. THE SYSTEM IS BLAMED FOR 19 DEATHS - 5 IN BELIZE...12 IN
NICARAGUA...1 IN HONDURAS...AND 1 IN MEXICO. DAMAGE TO
AGRICULTURE...PROPERTY...AND TOURISM IN BELIZE IS ESTIMATED AT $200
MILLION.
LESLIE DEVELOPED FROM SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION ONE OFF THE EAST COAST
OF FLORIDA. ALTHOUGH NEITHER LESLIE NOR THE SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION
CAUSED ANY DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES...THE PRECURSOR DISTURBANCE COMBINED
WITH A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND
FLOOD DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT $700 MILLION...IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA ON
OCTOBER 2ND AND 3RD. THREE DEATHS IN SOUTH FLORIDA WERE INDIRECTLY
ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE FLOODING. THE DISTURBANCE BECAME BETTER
ORGANIZED ON THE 4TH AND BECAME A SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION JUST EAST
OF ORLANDO FLORIDA. THE CYCLONE MOVED EASTWARD AWAY FROM THE
FLORIDA COAST...AND ON THE 5TH IT ACQUIRED TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS
AND STRENGTHENED INTO TROPICAL STORM LESLIE ABOUT 230 MILES EAST OF
ST. AUGUSTINE FLORIDA. LESLIE REMAINED A WEAK TROPICAL STORM AS IT
PASSED ABOUT 250 MILES WEST OF BERMUDA ON THE 7TH. LESLIE BECAME
EXTRATROPICAL WHILE MERGING WITH A COLD FRONT LATER ON THE 7TH ABOUT
375 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF BERMUDA.
MICHAEL DEVELOPED FROM A NON-TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT
STALLED ABOUT 450 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE BAHAMAS FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
THE LOW DEVELOPED INTO A SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION ON OCTOBER 15TH...A
SUBTROPICAL STORM ON THE 16TH...AND A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY.
AFTER ACQUIRING TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS...MICHAEL QUICKLY
STRENGTHENED TO A HURRICANE LATE ON THE 17TH...AND BEGAN MOVING
RAPIDLY NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE CANADIAN MARITIME PROVINCES.
MICHAEL REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 100 MPH AND MINIMUM PRESSURE OF
965 MB...OR 28.50 IN...EARLY ON THE 19TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 85
MILES EAST OF SABLE ISLAND NOVA SCOTIA. MICHAEL WEAKENED SLIGHTLY
AND BECAME EXTRATROPICAL JUST PRIOR TO LANDFALL IN NEWFOUNDLAND ON
THE 19TH. THERE WERE NO DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO MICHAEL AND DAMAGE IS
REPORTED TO BE MINOR.
NADINE FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE ABOUT 400 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
BERMUDA ON OCTOBER 19TH. THE DEPRESSION MOVED NORTHWARD TO
NORTHEASTWARD AND STRENGTHENED TO A TROPICAL STORM WHILE PASSING
WELL EAST OF BERUMDA ON THE 20TH. THE STORM REACHED ITS PEAK
INTENSITY OF 60 MPH LATER THAT DAY. NADINE ACCELERATED
NORTHEASTWARD AND BECAME AN EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE EARLY ON THE 22ND
WELL TO THE SOUTHEAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND.
ANOTHER NON-TROPICAL LOW DEVELOPED SOME TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND
BECAME A SUBTROPICAL STORM JUST EAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
ON OCTOBER 25TH. THE SYSTEM MOVED GENERALLY NORTHWARD...PASSING
ABOUT HALFWAY BETWEEN BERMUDA AND THE U.S. EAST COAST ON THE 27TH.
THE SYSTEM WAS OVERTAKEN NEAR SABLE ISLAND NOVA SCOTIA BY A STRONG
COLD FRONT EARLY ON THE 29TH...JUST AFTER THE SYSTEM HAD REACHED ITS
PEAK INTENSITY OF 65 MPH...AND LOST ITS IDENTITY NEAR EASTERN NOVA
SCOTIA LATER THAT DAY.
AVILA/BEVEN/FRANKLIN/LAWRENCE/PASCH/STEWART
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