355 ABNT30 KNHC 010356 TWSAT MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 1100 PM EST FRI NOV 30 2001 SUMMARY OF TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY FOR THE 2001 HURRICANE SEASON... FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO... THE 2001 HURRICANE SEASON WAS AN ACTIVE ONE. THERE WERE 15 NAMED STORMS OF WHICH 9 BECAME HURRICANES. FOUR OF THESE BECAME MAJOR HURRICANES...CATEGORY 3 OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. THE LONG-TERM AVERAGES ARE 10 TROPICAL STORMS...6 HURRICANES ...AND 2 MAJOR HURRICANES. THE BULK OF THE ACTIVITY OCCURRED DURING THE LAST 3 MONTHS OF THE SEASON DURING WHICH 11 OF THE NAMED STORMS...AND ALL OF THE MAJOR HURRICANES...FORMED. THERE WERE 3 HURRICANES DURING NOVEMBER WHICH WAS THE FIRST SUCH OCCURRENCE ON RECORD. TWO MAJOR HURRICANES...IRIS AND MICHELLE... STRUCK LAND AREAS AROUND THE CARIBBEAN CAUSING 48 DEATHS. MICHELLE ALSO CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN THE BAHAMAS. FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR THERE WERE NO U.S. HURRICANE LANDFALLS...ALTHOUGH 2 OF THE 3 TROPICAL STORMS THAT HIT THE U.S. WERE ALMOST HURRICANES... AND THE THIRD...ALLISON...CAUSED ENORMOUS FLOODING RESULTING IN 41 DEATHS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. THERE WERE ALSO 2 TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS THAT DID NOT BECOME TROPICAL STORMS. INDIVIDUAL STORM SUMMARIES... ALLISON DEVELOPED FROM A DISTURBANCE THAT MOVED FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC INTO THE SOUTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO. ON 4 JUNE THUNDERSTORMS INCREASED OVER THE WESTERN GULF...AND ON THE MORNING OF THE 5TH THE SYSTEM QUICKLY DEVELOPED INTO A TROPICAL STORM. ALLISON STRENGTHENED TO A PEAK INTENSITY OF 60 MPH ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 5TH BEFORE MOVING INLAND OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS WITH 50 MPH WINDS A FEW HOURS LATER. AFTER MOVING INLAND...ALLISON RAPIDLY WEAKENED BEFORE STALLING OVER EASTERN TEXAS ON THE 7TH. THE REMNANT CIRCULATION DRIFTED SOUTHWARD...AND EMERGED OVER THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO ON THE 9TH...WHERE THE SYSTEM REORGANIZED AS A SUBTROPICAL CYCLONE BEFORE MOVING INLAND AGAIN OVER LOUISIANA EARLY ON THE 11TH. THE SUBTROPICAL LOW TRACKED EAST-NORTHEASTWARD BEFORE STALLING OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA ON THE 14TH. THE LOW WAS NEARLY STATIONARY FOR ALMOST THREE DAYS BEFORE FINALLY MOVING NORTHEASTWARD OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST ON THE 17TH. THE SUBTROPICAL CYCLONE MERGED WITH A COLD FRONT ON THE 17TH AND DISSIPATED ON THE 19TH SOUTHEAST OF NOVA SCOTIA. ALLISON PRODUCED EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL FROM EASTERN TEXAS ACROSS THE GULF STATES AND ALONG THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST...RESULTING IN THE MOST EXTENSIVE FLOODING EVER ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL STORM. DAMAGE ESTIMATES ARE $5.0 BILLION OR MORE...AND THERE WERE 41 DIRECT DEATHS. MUCH OF THE DAMAGE AND FATALITIES OCCURRED IN THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA...WHERE MORE THAN 30 INCHES OF RAIN WERE REPORTED AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS. THE PRELIMINARY DEATH TOLL BY STATES IS AS FOLLOWS: TEXAS 23, FLORIDA 8, PENNSYLVANIA 7, LOUISIANA 1, MISSISSIPPI 1, AND VIRGINIA 1. SHORT-LIVED TROPICAL DEPRESSION TWO FORMED IN THE CENTRAL TROPICAL ATLANTIC ABOUT 1250 MILES EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS ON 11 JULY. THE DEPRESSION MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY ENCOUNTERED HOSTILE VERTICAL WIND SHEAR...WHICH CAUSED THE DEPRESSION TO WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL WAVE ON THE 12TH...ABOUT 700 MILES EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. BARRY FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO ON 2 AUGUST. INITIALLY MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...THE STORM SLOWED TO AN ERRATIC DRIFT ON THE 3RD THAT CONTINUED INTO THE 4TH. UNFAVORABLE UPPER LEVEL WINDS CAUSED BARRY TO WEAKEN TO A DEPRESSION EARLY ON THE 4TH...WITH THE CYCLONE REGAINING TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH LATER THAT DAY. BARRY MOVED NORTH AND INTENSIFIED ON THE 5TH...MAKING LANDFALL AT JUST UNDER HURRICANE STRENGTH IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE BETWEEN PANAMA CITY AND DESTIN EARLY ON THE 6TH. THE CYCLONE TURNED NORTHWESTWARD AND WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION OVER SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA...THEN WEAKENED FURTHER TO A LOW OVER NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI. THE REMNANTS OF BARRY WERE LAST SEEN OVER SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI ON THE 8TH. WINDS AND RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH BARRY CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. CHANTAL ORIGINATED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE...FIRST BECOMING A DEPRESSION ON 14 AUGUST ABOUT 1500 MILES EAST OF THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS. THE DEPRESSION MOVED WESTWARD SO RAPIDLY THAT IT DEGENERATED INTO AN OPEN WAVE ON THE 16TH. IT MOVED THROUGH THE LESSER ANTILLES AS A WAVE BUT DID PRODUCE WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE AT MARTINIQUE. THE WAVE SLOWED DOWN IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN...AND WHEN A CIRCULATION REDEVELOPED ON THE 17TH THE SYSTEM BECAME A TROPICAL STORM. CHANTAL MOVED WESTWARD THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN...BRIEFLY REACHING AN INTENSITY OF 70 MPH ON THE 19TH WHEN IT WAS SOUTH OF JAMAICA. CHANTAL WEAKENED LATE ON THE 19TH... BUT BEGAN TO STRENGTHEN AGAIN AS IT APPROACHED BELIZE AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. CHANTAL MADE LANDFALL NEAR THE BELIZE-MEXICO BORDER LATE ON THE 20TH WITH WINDS OF 70 MPH. CHANTAL WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION AND THEN DISSIPATED OVER SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO ON THE 22ND. THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH CHANTAL WHILE IT WAS A TROPICAL CYCLONE...ALTHOUGH TWO DEATHS WERE REPORTED IN TRINIDAD FROM LIGHTNING ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE TROPICAL WAVE THROUGH THE LESSER ANTILLES. DAMAGE IN BELIZE IS ESTIMATED AT $10-15 MILLION. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN MEXICO. DEAN FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE VIRGIN ISLANDS ON 22 AUGUST...AND A HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE INDICATED THAT ITS WINDS WERE NEAR HURRICANE FORCE LATER THAT DAY. HOWEVER...THE SYSTEM SOON ENCOUNTERED AN UNFAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT AND IT WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL WAVE JUST NORTH OF PUERTO RICO THE NEXT DAY. DEANS REMNANTS MOVED MOSTLY NORTHWARD FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...AND INTERACTED WITH A LARGE NON-TROPICAL TROUGH OFF THE U.S. EAST COAST. ON THE 26TH... THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY BEGAN TO ORGANIZE NEAR THE REMNANT LOW PRESSURE INDICATING THAT IT WAS AGAIN ACQUIRING TROPICAL CYCLONE CHARACTERISTICS. DEAN RE-ATTAINED TROPICAL STORM STATUS LATE ON THE 26TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 400 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF BERMUDA. AFTER STRENGTHENING TO JUST BELOW HURRICANE FORCE...DEAN CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD AND BECAME EXTRATROPICAL THE FOLLOWING DAY. WINDS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE WERE REPORTED IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND THERE WAS AN ESTIMATED $2 MILLION IN DAMAGE DUE TO FLOODING IN PUERTO RICO. ERIN FORMED ON 1 SEPTEMBER...OVER THE EASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC FROM A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE THAT MOVED OFF THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA ON 30 AUGUST. THE SYSTEM SOON BECAME A TROPICAL STORM...ABOUT 660 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...ERIN MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD. IT STRENGTHENED TO 60 MPH ON THE 3RD...BUT SOON SUCCUMBED TO WESTERLY SHEAR. THE WEAKENING CYCLONE MOVED TO ABOUT 400 MILES EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS ON THE 5TH...WHERE IT DEGENERATED INTO AN AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER. HOWEVER...A NEW CENTER DEVELOPED THE FOLLOWING DAY ABOUT 475 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS...WITHIN THE SAME AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ERIN. THE RE-BORN TROPICAL CYCLONE STRENGTHENED BACK INTO A TROPICAL STORM ABOUT 635 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS. WHILE MOVING NORTH-NORTHWEST...ERIN BECAME A HURRICANE ON THE 8TH. THE SYSTEM PASSED ABOUT 105 MILES EAST OF BERMUDA ON THE 9TH. A LITTLE LATER THAT SAME DAY...IT STRENGTHENED TO ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 120 MPH...MAKING ERIN THE FIRST MAJOR HURRICANE OF THE SEASON. ERIN ACCELERATED NORTHEASTWARD...AND PASSED VERY NEAR CAPE RACE NEWFOUNDLAND ON THE 14TH...WHILE WEAKENING TO JUST BELOW HURRICANE STRENGTH. IT BECAME EXTRATROPICAL SHORTLY THEREAFTER. ERIN AFFECTED SOUTHEASTERN NEWFOUNDLAND WITH GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS...AND PRODUCED TROPICAL-STORM FORCE GUSTS ON BERMUDA. NO DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES WERE REPORTED. FELIX DEVELOPED ON 7 SEPTEMBER SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS AND MOVED WESTWARD FOR THE NEXT 2 DAYS. LATE ON THE 8TH...THE DEPRESSION ENCOUNTERED STRONG VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND WEAKENED BACK TO A TROPICAL WAVE. AS THE WAVE CONTINUED WESTWARD...THE SHEAR RELAXED ENOUGH TO ALLOW A NEW CENTER TO RE-DEVELOP EARLY ON THE 10TH ABOUT 1000 MILES EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. THE DEPRESSION TRACKED STEADILY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC AND STRENGTHENED INTO TROPICAL STORM FELIX ON THE 11TH. DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...FELIX TURNED TO THE NORTHWEST AND THEN NORTH. LATE ON THE 12TH...IT INTENSIFIED INTO THE SECOND HURRICANE OF THE SEASON. WHILE CURVING TO THE NORTHEAST LATE ON THE 13TH...FELIX STRENGTHENED INTO THE SECOND MAJOR HURRICANE OF THE SEASON ABOUT 1400 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES. A PEAK INTENSITY OF 115 MPH WAS MAINTAINED UNTIL EARLY ON THE 14TH...AFTER WHICH SLOW WEAKENING OCCURRED. FELIX GRADUALLY TURNED EASTWARD ON THE 15TH AND CONTINUED THIS MOTION UNTIL IT WEAKENED BACK TO A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 17TH...WHEN IT STALLED ABOUT 350 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES. INCREASING SHEAR AND COOLER WATERS CAUSED FELIX TO WEAKEN AS IT DRIFTED SLOWLY SOUTHWARD. IT WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION EARLY ON THE 18TH AND DISSIPATED LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 400 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES ISLANDS. GABRIELLE FORMED OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO ON THE 11TH. AFTER LOOPING SLOWLY FOR A FEW DAYS...IT MOVED INLAND ACROSS THE WEST COAST OF CENTRAL FLORIDA ON THE 14TH AS A 70-MPH TROPICAL STORM. OVER 10 INCHES OF RAIN CAUSED MAJOR RIVER FLOODING IN WEST-CENTRAL FLORIDA AND AT THE LOWER ST. JOHNS RIVER AND THERE WAS COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING ALONG THE CENTRAL FLORIDA WEST COAST OF UP TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. THERE WAS WIND DAMAGE TO ROOFS...MOBILE HOMES...AND TREES. GABRIELLE THEN MOVED NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN AND STRENGTHENED TO AN 80-MPH HURRICANE ON THE 17TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 250 MILES NORTH OF BERMUDA. IT BECAME AN EXTRATROPICAL STORM ON THE 19TH AND CAUSED UP TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN ON THE AVALON PENINSULA OF NEWFOUNDLAND. ONE DROWNING DEATH AT THE ALABAMA COASTLINE IS ATTRIBUTED TO GABRIELLE. TROPICAL DEPRESSION NINE FORMED OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA ON 19 SEPTEMBER. IT MOVED INLAND OVER NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND DISSIPATED OVER LAND EARLY THE NEXT DAY. THE TROPICAL WAVE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEPRESSION CONTINUED WESTWARD INTO THE EASTERN PACIFIC AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HURRICANE JULIETTE. HUMBERTO FORMED ON 21 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 490 MILES SOUTH OF BERMUDA FROM A TROUGH TRAILING FROM GABRIELLE. IT MOVED NORTHWESTWARD FOR ABOUT A DAY...STRENGTHENING INTO A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 22ND. ON THE 23D HUMBERTO GRADUALLY TURNED TOWARD THE NORTH...AND STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE. LATER THAT DAY IT PASSED ABOUT 140 MILE WEST OF BERMUDA. WINDS SOON INCREASED TO NEAR 100 MPH. HUMBERTO TURNED TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AND WEAKENED...BUT STILL MAINTAINED HURRICANE STRENGTH FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. THEN...THE CYCLONE RE-INTENSIFIED OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC...REACHING A PEAK NEAR 105 MPH ON THE 26TH WHILE CENTERED ABOUT 200 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF SABLE ISLAND NOVA SCOTIA. THE HURRICANE TURNED EASTWARD AND WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM THE FOLLOWING DAY. IT LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS ON THE 27TH AND THE REMNANT CIRCULATION WAS EVENTUALLY ABSORBED BY A LARGE EXTRATROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE FAR NORTH ATLANTIC. IRIS WAS A SMALL BUT SEVERE CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE THAT DEVASTATED SOUTHERN BELIZE. IRIS...WHICH FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE...BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION NEAR THE WINDWARD ISLANDS ON 4 OCTOBER AND MOVED WESTWARD ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN SEA. IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON THE 6TH AND REACHED HURRICANE STATUS ON THE 7TH JUST SOUTH OF THE BARAHONA PENINSULA OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. IRIS PASSED VERY CLOSE TO THE SOUTHERN COAST OF JAMAICA AND CONTINUED WESTWARD TOWARD CENTRAL AMERICA. IT THEN INTENSIFIED...REACHING ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 145 MPH...WITH A PRESSURE OF 948 MB...JUST BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL IN THE VICINITY OF MONKEY RIVER TOWN IN SOUTHERN BELIZE DURING THE EVENING OF THE 8TH. BECAUSE THE CORE OF IRIS WAS SMALL...THE SEVERE DAMAGE WAS CONCENTRATED WITHIN A 60 MILE WIDE AREA OF SOUTHERN BELIZE. IRIS CAUSED AT LEAST 31 DEATHS IN THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA...MOST OF WHICH OCCURRED WHEN THE BOAT M/V WAVE DANCER CAPSIZED NEAR BELIZE. JERRY DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE...BECOMING A DEPRESSION ON 6 OCTOBER ABOUT 620 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BARBADOS...AND REACHED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH LATE THAT DAY ABOUT 400 MILES EAST- SOUTHEAST OF BARBADOS. JERRY MOVED THROUGH THE WINDWARD ISLANDS WITH 50 MPH WINDS ON THE 7TH AND 8TH...WITH THE CENTER PASSING CLOSE TO ST. VINCENT. JERRY THEN BECAME VERY DISORGANIZED IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA AND DISSIPATED LATE ON THE 8TH. SUSTAINED WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WERE REPORTED AT MARTINIQUE. KAREN ORIGINATED FROM A COLD FRONTAL SYSTEM THAT STALLED A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA ON 10 OCTOBER. THE SYSTEM DEVELOPED INTO A EXTRATROPICAL AND THEN SUBTROPICAL STORM THAT TRACKED NORTHWESTWARD NEAR BERMUDA EARLY ON THE 12TH... PRODUCING SUSTAINED WINDS OF 67 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 90 MPH. THERE WERE UNOFFICIAL REPORTS OF SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 75 MPH. THE WINDS CAUSED TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE ON BERMUDA AND LEFT MORE THAN 23,000 PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER. EARLY ON THE 13TH...THE SYSTEM BECAME TROPICAL STORM KAREN...WHICH STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE LATER THAT DAY. KAREN MOVED NORTHWARD FOR THE NEXT 2 DAYS AND REACHED 80 MPH WIND SPEED EARLY ON THE 14TH ABOUT 400 MILES SOUTH OF HALIFAX NOVA SCOTIA. IT MADE LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTHERN COAST OF NOVA SCOTIA ON THE 15TH...AS A 45 MPH TROPICAL STORM. KAREN BECAME EXTRATROPICAL AS IT TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD WESTERN NEWFOUNDLAND...WHERE IT MERGED WITH A LARGE MID-LATITUDE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURRED OVER MUCH OF DROUGHT-STRICKEN NOVA SCOTIA AND WESTERN NEWFOUNDLAND. UP TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN LESS THAN 12 HOURS NEAR CAPE RACE NEWFOUNDLAND...AND WIDESPREAD FLOODING...THE WORST IN 100 YEARS...OCCURRED IN ST. JOHNS NEWFOUNDLAND. LORENZO FORMED FROM A NON-TROPICAL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE EASTERN ATLANTIC THAT GRADUALLY ACQUIRED TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS. THE LOW BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 27 OCTOBER ABOUT 900 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES ISLANDS AND MOVED SLOWLY WESTWARD. LATE ON THE 29TH IT REACHED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH ABOUT 1250 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES. LORENZO TURNED TO THE NORTHWEST AND THEN TO THE NORTH ON THE 30TH WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH. ACCELERATING RAPIDLY TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST EARLY ON THE 31ST... LORENZO LOST ITS TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT ABOUT 800 MILES WEST OF THE AZORES. MICHELLE STARTED AS A BROAD LOW PRESSURE AREA IN THE SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA. IT DEVELOPED INTO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 29 OCTOBER ALONG THE EAST COAST OF NICARAGUA. THE DEPRESSION REMAINED NEARLY STATIONARY OVER NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA FOR TWO DAYS... PRODUCING EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS WITH FLOODING OVER PORTIONS OF NICARAGUA AND HONDURAS. LATE ON THE 31ST...THE DEPRESSION MOVED INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA JUST NORTH OF THE HONDURAS- NICARAGUA BORDER AND STRENGTHENED INTO TROPICAL STORM MICHELLE. MICHELLE MOVED SLOWLY NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS AS IT STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE. THE HURRICANE TURNED SLOWLY NORTHWARD ON THE 3RD...THEN TURNED NORTHEASTWARD ON THE 4TH AS IT REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 140 MPH. LATER THAT DAY...MICHELLE CROSSED THE COASTAL ISLANDS OF CUBA AS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE AND THE COAST OF THE MAIN ISLAND OF CUBA AS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE. A WEAKENING MICHELLE CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE BAHAMAS ON THE 5TH...AND THE STORM BECAME EXTRATROPICAL OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC ON THE 6TH. MICHELLE LEFT A TRAIL OF DAMAGE AND DEATH FROM CENTRAL AMERICA TO THE BAHAMAS. SO FAR...17 DEATHS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE HURRICANE...INCLUDING 6 IN HONDURAS...5 IN CUBA...4 IN NICARAGUA...AND 2 IN JAMAICA. MICHELLE WAS THE STRONGEST HURRICANE TO HIT CUBA SINCE 1952 AND CAUSED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN CUBA. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN THE BAHAMAS. WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINS OVER CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN CAUSED EXTENSIVE FLOODING AND MUD SLIDES IN NICARAGUA...HONDURAS...AND JAMAICA. MINOR DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS AND SOUTH FLORIDA. NOEL DEVELOPED FROM A NON-TROPICAL LOW THAT BECAME A SUBTROPICAL STORM ON 4 NOVEMBER ABOUT 890 MILES SOUTH OF CAPE RACE NEWFOUNDLAND. THE NORTHWARD-MOVING CYCLONE ACQUIRED MORE TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE ON THE 5TH ABOUT 615 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE RACE. NOEL SOON WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM...AND...WHILE ACCELERATING NORTHWARD...LOST ITS TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS ON THE 6TH ABOUT 330 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CAPE RACE. IT WAS ABSORBED BY ANOTHER EXTRATROPICAL LOW SOON THEREAFTER. OLGA FORMED FROM ANOTHER NON-TROPICAL LOW THAT BECAME A SUBTROPICAL STORM ABOUT 900 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA ON 24 NOVEMBER. THE STORM MOVED NORTHWEST TO WESTWARD FOR A DAY OR SO. ON THE 26TH...THE CYCLONE BECAME A TROPICAL STORM AND THEN A HURRICANE ABOUT 500 MILES EAST OF BERMDA. OLGA SLOWED...MEANDERED...AND EXECUTED A COUNTERCLOCKWISE LOOP ON THE 27TH...AFTER WHICH IT STRENGTHENED TO A PEAK INTENSITY NEAR 90 MPH. OLGA MADE ANOTHER COUNTERCLOCKWISE LOOP ON THE 28TH...AND THEN WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM WHILE MOVING SOUTHWESTWARD ON THE 29TH. THE SYSTEM WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THE 30TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 500 MILES EAST OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS...STILL MAINTAINING TROPICAL CYCLONE STATUS AT THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON. SUMMARY TABLE... NAME DATES WIND-MPH PRES.- MB DEATHS US DAMAGE ($MIL) ------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLISON 5 - 17 JUN 60 1000 41* 5000+ T.D. TWO 11 - 12 JUL 30 1010 0 0 BARRY 2 - 7 AUG 70 990 0 30 CHANTAL 14 - 22 AUG 70 997 0 0 DEAN 22 - 28 AUG 70 994 0 2 ERIN 1 - 15 SEP 120 968 0 0 FELIX 6 - 18 SEP 115 965 0 0 GABRIELLE 11 - 19 SEP 80 975 1 230 T.D. NINE 19 - 20 SEP 35 1005 0 0 HUMBERTO 21 - 27 SEP 105 970 0 0 IRIS 4 - 9 OCT 145 948 31 0 JERRY 6 - 8 OCT 50 1005 0 0 KAREN 12 - 15 OCT 80 982 0 0 LORENZO 27 - 31 OCT 40 1007 0 0 MICHELLE 29 OCT-5 NOV 120 933 17 0.1 NOEL 4 - 6 NOV 75 986 0 0 OLGA 24 NOV-? 90 973 ? 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------- *THERE WERE AN ADDITIONAL 9 FATALITIES INDIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH ALLISON. AVILA/BEVEN/FRANKLIN/LAWRENCE/PASCH/STEWART