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