Tropical Weather Summary - 2005 Web Final
THE FOLLOWING IS A SPECIAL WEB-ONLY VERSION OF THE MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY REGARDING THE 2005 HURRICANE SEASON. THIS FINAL VERSION WAS RELEASED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER ON JANUARY 23, 2007. THE 2005 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON WAS THE MOST ACTIVE ON RECORD. TWENTY-EIGHT TROPICAL STORMS FORMED...INCLUDING ONE SUBTROPICAL STORM...BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF 21 SET IN 1933. FIFTEEN STORMS BECAME HURRICANES...BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF 12 SET BACK IN 1969. SEVEN OF THE HURRICANES BECAME MAJOR HURRICANES...CATEGORY THREE OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE...INCLUDING FOUR... EMILY...KATRINA...RITA...AND WILMA...THAT REACHED CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN THE AVAILABLE RECORDS DATING BACK TO 1851 THAT FOUR CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANES HAVE OCCURRED IN A SEASON. IN CONTRAST...IN AN AVERAGE SEASON THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN 11 NAMED STORMS...6 HURRICANES... AND 2 MAJOR HURRICANES. THE SEASON ALSO INCLUDED THREE DEPRESSIONS THAT DID NOT REACH TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH. ARLENE FORMED ON 8 JUNE NEAR THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF HONDURAS AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON 9 JUNE ABOUT 175 MILES WEST- SOUTHWEST OF GRAND CAYMAN ISLAND. ARLENE MOVED SLOWLY NORTHWARD WHILE INTENSIFYING STEADILY AND CROSSED WESTERN CUBA NEAR CABO CORRIENTES WITH WINDS OF 50 MPH. THE STORM CONTINUED NORTHWARD OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO WHERE IT REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 70 MPH. ARLENE THEN WEAKENED AND MADE LANDFALL NEAR PENSACOLA FLORIDA WITH 60 MPH WINDS. THE CYCLONE CONTINUED TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVED NORTHWARD FARTHER INLAND AND WAS ABSORBED BY A FRONTAL SYSTEM ON 14 JUNE OVER SOUTHEASTERN CANADA. ONE STUDENT AT MIAMI BEACH FLORIDA DIED IN A RIP CURRENT TRIGGERED BY ARLENE. DAMAGE CAUSED BY ARLENE WAS MINIMAL. BRET ORIGINATED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE AND A WEAK AREA OF SURFACE LOW PRESSURE THAT CROSSED CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA OF MEXICO FROM 24-27 JUNE. ON 28 JUNE...THE ASSOCIATED AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER BECAME BETTER ORGANIZED OVER THE BAY OF CAMPECHE...AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMED LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 65 MILES NORTHEAST OF VERACRUZ MEXICO. THE CYCLONE QUICKLY STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM. BRET MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AND MADE LANDFALL ON THE COAST OF MEXICO NEAR TUXPAN EARLY ON 29 JUNE WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 40 MPH. THE SYSTEM DISSIPATED OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF MEXICO LATER THAT DAY. BRET PRODUCED FLOODING IN THE STATE OF VERACRUZ...WHERE THERE WAS 1 DEATH. CINDY FORMED ON 3 JULY IN THE EXTREME WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA JUST EAST OF THE YUCATAN-BELIZE BORDER. THE CYCLONE MOVED NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE YUCATAN PENINSULA BEFORE EMERGING OVER THE SOUTH-CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO ON 4 JULY. ONCE OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO...THE DEPRESSION STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM EARLY ON 5 JULY AS THE CYCLONE TURNED NORTHWARD. CINDY CONTINUED TO STRENGTH OVER THE VERY WARM GULF WATERS...AND MADE LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE EARLY ON 6 JULY OVER SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA JUST TO THE SOUTHWEST OF GRAND ISLE. CINDY TURNED NORTHEASTWARD AND PASSED OVER THE NEW ORLEANS AREA AND MERGED WITH A FRONTAL SYSTEM OVER NORTHERN GEORGIA LATER THAT DAY. AS AN EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE...CINDY MOVED NORTHEASTWARD ALONG THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS AND ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AND SOUTHEASTERN CANADA BEFORE DISSIPATING OVER THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE ON 11 JULY. THE MAIN EFFECT OF CINDY WAS HEAVY RAINFALL THAT CAUSED FLOODING ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA...SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...MUCH OF ALABAMA...THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...AND GEORGIA. AS AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW...CINDY ALSO PRODUCED LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS MUCH OF THE EASTERN U.S. ALONG AND EAST OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. CINDY CAUSED ONE DEATH IN GEORGIA DUE TO FLOODING AND $320 MILLION IN DAMAGE IN THE UNITED STATES. DENNIS DEVELOPED ON 4 JULY FROM A TROPICAL WAVE NEAR THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS. THE DEPRESSION MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA...BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON 5 JULY...AND STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE EARLY ON 6 JULY ABOUT 315 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF JAMAICA. DENNIS INTENSIFIED OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS AND BECAME A MAJOR HURRICANE ON 7 JULY...AND A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE WITH WINDS OF 150 MPH ON 8 JULY JUST SOUTH OF CENTRAL CUBA. DENNIS PASSED OVER CABO CRUZ CUBA EARLY ON 8 JULY WITH WINDS OF 140 MPH...AND THEN MADE LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTH-CENTRAL COAST OF CUBA THAT AFTERNOON NEAR CIENFUEGOS WITH WINDS OF 140 MPH. AFTER MAKING LANDFALL...THE CENTER OF DENNIS PASSED VERY NEAR HAVANA AND THE HURRICANE WEAKENED TO CATEGORY ONE STATUS BEFORE EMERGING OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO EARLY ON 9 JULY. ALTHOUGH DENNIS RE -INTENSIFIED INTO A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE EARLY ON 10 JULY OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...IT WEAKENED TO CATEGORY 3 STRENGTH BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL OVER THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE NEAR NAVARRE BEACH LATE ON 10 JULY. DENNIS LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AND EVENTUALLY DISSIPATED OVER SOUTHEASTERN CANADA ON 18 JULY. FORTY-TWO DEATHS WERE REPORTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH DENNIS...22 IN HAITI...16 IN CUBA...3 IN THE UNITED STATES AND 1 IN JAMAICA. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE OCCURRED ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN CUBA...INCLUDING WIDESPREAD UTILITY AND COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGES. NOTABLE STORM SURGE RELATED DAMAGE OCCURRED NEAR ST. MARKS FLORIDA...WELL EAST OF THE LANDFALL LOCATION. HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING OCCURRED ACROSS MUCH OF FLORIDA AND EXTENDED WELL INLAND OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. THE DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH DENNIS IS ESTIMATED AT $2.23 BILLION. EMILY FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE ON 11 JULY ABOUT 1235 MILES EAST OF THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS. MOVING WESTWARD...THE DEPRESSION BECAME A TROPICAL STORM THE FOLLOWING DAY. ON 14 JULY...AS EMILY WAS PASSING THROUGH THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS...IT ABRUPTLY STRENGTHENED AND BECAME A HURRICANE NEAR GRENADA...AND LATER THAT DAY BECAME A MAJOR HURRICANE IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS IT MOVED WEST- NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN...REACHING A PEAK INTENSITY OF 160 MPH...CATEGORY FIVE...WHEN IT WAS SOUTH OF HISPANIOLA. EMILY PASSED TO THE SOUTH OF JAMAICA AND THE CAYMAN ISLANDS...AND THEN STRUCK COZUMEL AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA OF MEXICO ON 18 JULY WITH MAXIMUM WINDS NEAR 135 MPH. EMILY CROSSED THE YUCATAN AND WEAKENED...BUT BECAME A MAJOR HURRICANE AGAIN IN THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO. EMILY MADE ITS FINAL LANDFALL ON 20 JULY IN NORTHEASTERN MEXICO ABOUT 85 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS...WITH MAXIMUM WINDS NEAR 125 MPH. EMILY THEN WEAKENED AND DISSIPATED THE FOLLOWING DAY OVER NORTHERN MEXICO. SIX DEATHS HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO EMILY... 1 IN GRENADA AND 5 IN JAMAICA. THE STORM CAUSED DAMAGE TO PROPERTY IN GRENADA...PORTIONS OF THE NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN PENINSULA...AND PORTIONS OF THE NORTHEASTERN MEXICAN COAST. FRANKLIN DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE...BECOMING A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 21 JULY NEAR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM THAT EVENING...BUT MOST OF THE TROPICAL STORM- FORCE WINDS REMAINED EAST OF THE BAHAMAS. FRANKLIN TURNED TOWARD THE NORTH AND THEN NORTHEAST OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS WHILE STRENGTHENING TO ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 70 MPH ON 23 JULY. DURING 23-26 JULY...FRANKLIN MOVED ERRATICALLY TOWARD THE EAST-NORTHEAST IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF BERMUDA...AND ITS WINDS WEAKENED TO 40 MPH BY 25 JULY DUE TO NORTHWESTERLY WIND SHEAR. THE CLOSEST APPROACH TO BERMUDA BY FRANKLIN WAS ABOUT 185 MILES TO THE WEST ON 26 JULY...AND NO WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM-FORCE OCCURRED ON BERMUDA. FRANKLIN THEN MOVED SLOWLY IN A GENERAL NORTHWARD DIRECTION ON 27-28 JULY WHILE ITS WINDS RESTRENGTHENED TO NEAR 60 MPH. ON 28 JULY...A FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVED OFF THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES AND ACCELERATED FRANKLIN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST. FRANKLIN BEGAN TO WEAKEN AFTER PASSING NORTH OF THE GULF STREAM EARLY ON 29 JULY...BECAME EXTRATROPICAL LATE ON 29 JULY...AND MERGED WITH A FRONTAL ZONE WHILE PASSING SOUTH OF NEWFOUNDLAND ON 30-31 JULY. NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES DUE TO FRANKLIN WERE RECEIVED. GERT FORMED IN THE BAY OF CAMPECHE ON 23 JULY AND MOVED SLOWLY TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST...BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM EARLY THE NEXT DAY. THE STORM MADE LANDFALL NEAR CABO ROJO ON THE EASTERN COAST OF MEXICO LATE ON 24 JULY WITH 45 MPH WINDS...BRINGING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TO THOSE AREAS THAT HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY HURRICANE EMILY LESS THAN A WEEK EARLIER. GERT DISSIPATED WELL INLAND OVER CENTRAL MEXICO ON 26 JULY. NO REPORTS OF CASUALTIES OR DAMAGE WERE RECEIVED. HARVEY FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT EXITED THE COAST OF AFRICA ON 23 JULY. THE WAVE SHOWED SIGNS OF LOW-LEVEL ORGANIZATION AS IT MOVED WESTWARD ACROSS THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE REACHING THE NORTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA ON 29 JULY. AN AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH THE WAVE CROSSED HISPANIOLA ON 30 JULY AND MOVED NORTHWARD FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. THE SYSTEM DEVELOPED INTO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 2 AUGUST ABOUT 370 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BERMUDA. MOVING NORTH- NORTHEASTWARD...THE CYCLONE STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM ON 3 AUGUST. THE NEXT DAY...HARVEY TURNED TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AND EAST-NORTHEAST...PASSED ABOUT 45 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA...AND STRENGTHENED TO ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 65 MPH. THE STORM TURNED NORTHEASTWARD ON 6 AUGUST AND STAYED ON THAT GENERAL HEADING FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. IT LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS LATE ON 8 AUGUST ABOUT 535 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CAPE RACE NEWFOUNDLAND. THE REMNANTS OF HARVEY BECAME A LARGE AND POWERFUL EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE THAT LINGERED OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE DISSIPATING ON 14 AUGUST. NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES DUE TO HARVEY WERE RECEIVED. IRENE FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT MOVED OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA ON 1 AUGUST. IT DEVELOPED INTO A DEPRESSION ON 4 AUGUST ABOUT 690 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS...BUT THEN TURNED NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS COOLER WATERS. NO FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OCCURRED UNTIL 7 AUGUST WHEN THE DEPRESSION STRENGTHENED TO A TROPICAL STORM ABOUT 1240 MILES EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS. IRENE MOVED OVER THE WATERS OF THE CENTRAL TROPICAL ATLANTIC FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS...WEAKENING TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION BEFORE RESTRENGTHENING TO STORM STRENGTH ON 10 AUGUST. IRENE TURNED NORTHWESTWARD AND MOVED BETWEEN BERMUDA AND CAPE HATTERAS ON 14 AUGUST. IRENE TURNED NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD AND STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE...REACHING ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 105 MPH ON THE 15 AUGUST. THE HURRICANE THEN TURNED TO THE EAST AND WEAKENED. IRENE THEN MOVED EAST-NORTHEASTWARD OVER MUCH COOLER WATERS AND BECAME EXTRATROPICAL ABOUT 290 MILES EAST- SOUTHEAST OF CAPE RACE NEWFOUNDLAND ON 18 AUGUST. NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES DUE TO IRENE WERE RECEIVED. TROPICAL DEPRESSION TEN DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE ON 13 AUGUST ABOUT 1065 MILES EAST OF BARBADOS. STRONG VERTICAL WIND SHEAR CAUSED THE WESTWARD-MOVING CYCLONE TO DISSIPATE ON THE NEXT DAY. THE REMNANTS OF THE DEPRESSION MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD UNTIL 18 AUGUST... AND THE REMNANT MIDDLE-LEVEL PART OF THE SYSTEM LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF HURRICANE KATRINA. NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES DUE TO TROPICAL DEPRESSION TEN WERE RECEIVED. JOSE WAS A SHORT-LIVED TROPICAL STORM THAT FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE ON 22 AUGUST OVER THE BAY OF CAMPECHE ABOUT 110 MILES EAST OF VERACRUZ. IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY...AND ITS CENTER MADE LANDFALL LATER THAT EVENING ABOUT 35 MILES NORTH OF VERACRUZ. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE THEN NEAR 60 MPH. AFTER LANDFALL...JOSE QUICKLY DISSIPATED OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN MEXICO. JOSE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 6 DEATHS IN MEXICO. KATRINA WAS ONE OF THE MOST DEVASTATING NATURAL DISASTERS IN UNITED STATES HISTORY...PRODUCING CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE AND MANY CASUALTIES IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA AND ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST...AND ADDITIONAL CASUALTIES IN FLORIDA...GEORGIA AND ALABAMA. KATRINA WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ESTIMATED 1500 DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES...MAKING IT THE DEADLIEST U.S. HURRICANE SINCE THE PALM BEACH-LAKE OKEECHOBEE HURRICANE OF SEPTEMBER 1928. KATRINA ALSO CAUSED AN ESTIMATED $81 BILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE...MAKING IT THE COSTLIEST U.S. HURRICANE ON RECORD. THIS DISASTROUS TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE... BECOMING A DEPRESSION ABOUT 200 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU IN THE BAHAMAS ON 23 AUGUST. IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM THE FOLLOWING DAY. KATRINA MOVED NORTHWESTWARD THROUGH THE BAHAMAS...AND THEN TURNED WESTWARD TOWARD SOUTH FLORIDA AND GRADUALLY STRENGTHENED. KATRINA BECAME A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE AND MADE LANDFALL NEAR THE MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD COUNTY LINE DURING THE EVENING OF 25 AUGUST. KATRINA MOVED SOUTHWESTWARD ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA...DUMPING OVER A FOOT OF RAIN... TOPPLING TREES AND POWER LINES...AND DAMAGING SOME HOMES AND BUSINESSES. KATRINA ALSO BROUGHT HEAVY RAINS AND SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS TO PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS. AFTER ENTERING THE GULF OF MEXICO...KATRINA STRENGTHENED SIGNIFICANTLY...REACHING CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY ON 28 AUGUST ABOUT 250 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. LATER THAT DAY...KATRINA.S WINDS REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 175 MPH AND THE PRESSURE FELL TO 902 MB...THE SIXTH LOWEST PRESSURE ON RECORD FOR AN ATLANTIC HURRICANE. KATRINA TURNED TO THE NORTHWEST AND THEN NORTH...MAKING LANDFALL IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH LOUISIANA JUST SOUTH OF BURAS WITH ESTIMATED 125 MPH MAXIMUM WINDS...CATEGORY THREE...AT 610 AM CDT ON 29 AUGUST. CONTINUING NORTHWARD...KATRINA MADE A SECOND LANDFALL NEAR THE LOUISIANA/MISSISSIPPI BORDER AT 945 AM CDT...WITH MAXIMUM WINDS ESTIMATED AT 120 MPH...ALSO CATEGORY THREE. KATRINA PRODUCED A STORM SURGE OF 24-28 FT ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI COAST ACROSS A SWATH ABOUT 20 MILES WIDE...WITH SIGNIFICANT SURGE ELSEWHERE ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI COAST....ALABAMA COAST...AND ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA. LEVEES AND FLOODWALLS SURROUNDING THE NEW ORLEANS AREA WERE BREACHED AND/OR OVERTOPPED...AND ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF THE CITY FLOODED. KATRINA WEAKENED AS IT MOVED INLAND TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST BUT WAS STILL A HURRICANE ABOUT 100 MILES INLAND NEAR LAUREL MISSISSIPPI. KATRINA CONTINUED TO WEAKEN AND BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION NEAR CLARKSVILLE TENNESSEE ON 30 AUGUST. IT BECAME EXTRATROPICAL ON 31 AUGUST OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AND WAS ABSORBED BY A FRONTAL SYSTEM LATER THAT DAY. LEE DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE CENTRAL TROPICAL ATLANTIC...FIRST BECOMING A DEPRESSION ON 28 AUGUST ABOUT 1050 MILES EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. THE DEPRESSION DISSIPATED THE FOLLOWING DAY...BUT ITS REMNANTS REDEVELOPED INTO A DEPRESSION AND STRENGTHENED TO A STORM ON 31 AUGUST. THE SYSTEM THEN QUICKLY WEAKENED AND DISSIPATED THE NEXT DAY SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES NORTHEAST OF BERMUDA. NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES DUE TO LEE WERE RECEIVED. MARIA DEVELOPED FROM A VIGOROUS TROPICAL WAVE THAT CROSSED THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA ON 27 AUGUST. THE SYSTEM BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 1 SEPTEMBER WHILE CENTERED ABOUT 1050 MILES EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS. MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTHWESTWARD...THE CYCLONE STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM ON 2 SEPTEMBER. MARIA TURNED NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD AND BECAME A HURRICANE ON 4 SEPTEMBER. THE ESTIMATED PEAK INTENSITY...115 MPH...WAS REACHED EARLY ON 6 SEPTEMBER WHEN THE CYCLONE WAS CENTERED ABOUT 475 MILES EAST OF BERMUDA. MARIA RECURVED NORTHEASTWARD AND WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM BEFORE REGAINING HURRICANE INTENSITY ON 7 SEPTEMBER. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS THE INTENSITY SLOWLY DECREASED...AND MARIA WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM EARLY ON 9 SEPTEMBER. HOWEVER....MARIA THEN BECAME A POWERFUL EXTRATROPICAL STORM OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC ABOUT 750 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE RACE NEWFOUNDLAND ON 10 SEPTEMBER. THE EXTRATROPICAL REMNANTS OF MARIA MERGED WITH ANOTHER EXTRATROPICAL LOW OVER THE NORTH SEA ON 14 SEPETMBER...AND THE MERGED SYSTEM CAUSED A LANDSLIDE AND 1 DEATH IN NORWAY. NATE FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT EXITED THE COAST OF AFRICA ON 30 AUGUST. THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE WAVE BROKE AWAY AND MOVED NORTHWESTWARD WHILE IT INTERACTED WITH A WEAK UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH NEAR BERMUDA. A TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMED LATE ON 5 SEPTEMBER FROM THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE SYSTEM ABOUT 300 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BERMUDA...AND THE SYSTEM QUICKLY STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM JUST 6 HOURS LATER. NATE DRIFTED NORTHEASTWARD FOR THE NEXT 2 DAYS AND INTENSIFIED INTO A HURRICANE ON 7 SEPTEMBER. EARLY ON 8 SEPTEMBER... NATE ACCELERATED EAST-NORTHEASTWARD AND BRIEFLY THREATENED BERMUDA. HOWEVER...THE HURRICANE PASSED WELL TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE ISLAND AND WEAKENED BACK TO A TROPICAL STORM ON 9 SEPTEMBER. WEAKENING CONTINUED AS UPPER-LEVEL SHEAR INCREASED AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM...AND NATE TRANSFORMED INTO A STRONG EXTRATROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ON 10 SEPTEMBER ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN BERMUDA AND THE AZORES ISLANDS. THE EXTRATROPICAL REMNANTS OF NATE CONTINUED TO MOVE QUICKLY TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST...AND MERGED WITH A FRONTAL SYSTEM LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 900 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES. NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES DUE TO NATE WERE RECEIVED. ERRATIC OPHELIA FORMED FROM AN AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER ALONG THE WESTERN END OF AN OLD FRONTAL SYSTEM. THE CYCLONE STARTED TO BECOME ORGANIZED ON 4 SEPTEMBER OVER THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS... AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMED ON 6 SEPTEMBER NEAR GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. THE DEPRESSION MOVED GENERALLY NORTH- NORTHWESTWARD AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON 7 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 110 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE CANAVERAL FLORIDA. OPHELIA MEANDERED OFF THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS...BRIEFLY MAINTAINING HURRICANE STRENGTH ON 8 SEPTEMBER. OPHELIA BEGAN A NORTHEASTWARD MOTION LATE ON 9 SEPTEMBER THAT CONTINUED UNTIL IT AGAIN STALLED ON 11 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 245 MILES SOUTH OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA. DURING THAT TIME...IT TWICE REACHED HURRICANE STRENGTH BEFORE WEAKENING BACK TO A TROPICAL STORM. OPHELIA MADE A SLOW LOOP ON 11-12 SEPTEMBER...MOVING SOUTHWESTWARD AND NORTHWESTWARD BEFORE BEGINNING A NORTHWARD MOTION TOWARD THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST. THE CYCLONE BECAME A HURRICANE YET AGAIN LATE ON 13 SEPTEMBER...AND MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REACHED 85 MPH BY THE TIME THE NORTHERN EYEWALL REACHED THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST NEAR CAPE FEAR ON 14 SEPTEMBER. OPHELIA TURNED SLOWLY EAST-NORTHEASTWARD WITH THE CENTER REMAINING JUST SOUTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT AND CAPE HATTERAS ON 15 SEPTEMBER. IT THEN WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM EARLY ON 16 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE HATTERAS. OPHELIA ACCELERATED TO THE NORTHEAST LATER ON 16 SEPTEMBER AND PASSED EAST OF CAPE COD THE NEXT DAY. THE STORM TRANSFORMED INTO AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW NEAR NOVA SCOTIA EARLY ON 18 SEPTEMBER...PASSED OVER NEWFOUNDLAND LATER THAT DAY...AND REACHED THE EASTERN ATLANTIC ON 21 SEPTEMBER. THE EXTRATROPICAL REMNANTS OF OPHELIA DISSIPATED OVER THE NORTH SEA ON 23 SEPTEMBER. ONE DEATH WAS ATTRIBUTED TO OPHELIA...A DROWNING ALONG THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF FLORIDA. THE STORM CAUSED AN ESTIMATED $70 MILLION IN DAMAGE IN THE UNITED STATES...WITH SIGNIFICANT BEACH EROSION NOTED FROM NORTH CAROLINA SOUTHWARD TO THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST. PHILIPPE FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE...BECOMING A DEPRESSION ON 17 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 330 MILES EAST OF BARBADOS. THE DEPRESSION BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY. PHILIPPE MOVED NORTH- NORTHEASTWARD TO THE EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES AND STRENGTHENED...BECOMING A HURRICANE ON 19 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 360 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. PHILIPPE REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 80 MPH EARLY THE FOLLOWING DAY. CONTINUING TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST OVER OPEN WATERS...PHILIPPE WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM LATE ON 20 SEPTEMBER. THE CYCLONE TURNED NORTHWARD AND ITS CIRCULATION BECAME EMBEDDED WITHIN A LARGER NON-TROPICAL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ON 22 SEPTEMBER. ROTATING COUNTER-CLOCKWISE WITHIN THE LARGER LOW...PHILIPPE TURNED TO THE WEST AND SOUTH...AND WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION THE NEXT DAY. THE CIRCULATION OF PHILIPPE WAS ABSORBED BY THE NON-TROPICAL LOW EARLY ON 24 SEPTEMBER. NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES DUE TO PHILIPPE WERE RECEIVED. RITA WAS AN INTENSE...DESTRUCTIVE...AND DEADLY HURRICANE THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED THE FLORIDA KEYS AND DEVASTATED PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS AND SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. RITA BECAME A DEPRESSION JUST EAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS LATE ON 17 SEPTEMBER. IT MOVED WESTWARD AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON. CONTINUING ON THROUGH THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON 19 SEPTEMBER...RITA.S WINDS APPROACHED HURRICANE STRENGTH WITH 70 MPH WINDS. WHILE RITA DID NOT STRENGTHEN DURING THE FOLLOWING NIGHT...IT INTENSIFIED ON 20 SEPTEMBER WHILE MOVING THROUGH THE FLORIDA STRAITS. IT REACHED CATEGORY TWO INTENSITY AS THE CENTER PASSED ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH OF KEY WEST. AFTER ENTERING THE GULF OF MEXICO...RITA INTENSIFIED AT A RAPID RATE...FROM CATEGORY TWO TO CATEGORY FIVE IN ABOUT 24 HOURS...WITH WINDS REACHING 165 MPH ON THE AFTERNOON OF 21 SEPTEMBER. THE HURRICANE STRENGTHENED FURTHER AND REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 180 MPH EARLY ON 22 SEPTEMBER...ABOUT 310 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE CENTRAL PRESSURE FELL TO 895 MB...THE FOURTH LOWEST ON RECORD IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN. RITA BEGAN TO WEAKEN LATER THAT DAY...BUT AS IT PASSED THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO...IT PRODUCED STORM SURGE FLOODING IN PORTIONS OF THE NEW ORLEANS AREA THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN INUNDATED BY KATRINA. RITA TURNED NORTHWESTWARD AND WEAKENED TO CATEGORY THREE ON 23 SEPTEMBER. IT THEN MADE LANDFALL AROUND 240 AM CDT 24 SEPTEMBER JUST EAST OF THE TEXAS/LOUISIANA BORDER BETWEEN SABINE PASS AND JOHNSON.S BAYOU...STILL AT CATEGORY THREE INTENSITY WITH 115 MPH WINDS. RITA CAUSED DEVASTATING STORM SURGE FLOODING AND WIND DAMAGE IN SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS. RITA WEAKENED AFTER MOVING INLAND BUT REMAINED A TROPICAL STORM UNTIL REACHING NORTHWESTERN LOUISIANA LATE ON 24 SEPTEMBER. IT THEN TURNED NORTHEASTWARD AND MERGED WITH A FRONTAL SYSTEM TWO DAYS LATER. RITA CAUSED SEVEN DEATHS AND DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT $11.3 BILLION IN THE UNITED STATES. TROPICAL DEPRESSION NINETEEN FORMED ON 30 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 665 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. THE SYSTEM MOVED SLOWLY NORTHWESTWARD AND DISSIPATED ON 2 OCTOBER ABOUT 670 MILES WEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES DUE TO THE DEPRESSION WERE RECEIVED. STAN DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE THAT MOVED INTO THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA IN LATE SEPTEMBER. A TROPICAL DEPRESSION EVENTUALLY FORMED ON 1 OCTOBER ABOUT 135 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COZUMEL MEXICO. THE CYCLONE MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...ATTAINING TROPICAL STORM STATUS JUST BEFORE CROSSING THE EAST COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTH OF TULUM MEXICO ON 2 OCTOBER. STAN TRAVERSED YUCATAN AND WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION...BUT IT SOON REGAINED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH AFTER IT MOVED INTO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE ON 3 OCTOBER. THE STORM TURNED FROM A WESTWARD TO A SOUTHWESTWARD HEADING AND CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN. STAN BECAME A HURRICANE AS IT NEARED THE COAST OF MEXICO ON 4 OCTOBER AND MADE LANDFALL LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 90 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF VERACRUZ WITH MAXIMUM WINDS ESTIMATED AT 80 MPH. THE CYCLONE WEAKENED RAPIDLY AFTER MOVING INLAND AND DISSIPATED OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN MEXICO ON 5 OCTOBER. STAN WAS PART OF A LARGER WEATHER SYSTEM THAT CAUSED TORRENTIAL RAINS AND SEVERE FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES OVER PORTIONS OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA...INCLUDING GUATEMALA...EL SALVADOR...NICARAGUA... HONDURAS...AND COSTA RICA. THE ESTIMATED DEATH TOLL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WEATHER SYSTEM RANGES FROM 1000- 2000. AS BEST AS CAN BE DETERMINED...STAN ITSELF WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR 80 DEATHS. A POST-SEASON REVIEW CONCLUDED THAT AN UNNAMED SUBTROPICAL STORM OCCURRED NEAR THE AZORES ISLANDS IN EARLY OCTOBER. THE STORM ORIGINATED FROM AN AREA OF DISTUBED WEATHER CAUSED BY AN UPPER LOW IN THE EASTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN. A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AREA FORMED FROM THE AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER ABOUT 460 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES ON 3 OCTOBER. THE SURFACE LOW MOVED NORTHEASTWARD AND BECAME A SUBTROPICAL STORM ON 4 OCTOBER...WITH THE CENTER OF THE STORM PASSING THROUGH THE EASTERN AZORES LATER THAT DAY WITH WINDS ESTIMATED NEAR 50 MPH. THE STORM BECAME EXTRATROPICAL EARLY ON 5 OCTOBER...AND LATER THAT DAY WAS ABSORBED BY THE NON-TROPICAL LOW THAT EVENTUALLY EVOLVED INTO HURRICANE VINCE. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES DUE TO VINCE. TAMMY WAS A SHORT-LIVED TROPICAL STORM THAT DEVELOPED JUST EAST OF THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST AS A RESULT OF A COMPLEX INTERACTION BETWEEN AN UPPER-LEVEL LOW AND A TROPICAL WAVE. THIS INTERACTION RESULTED IN THE FORMATION OF A TROPICAL STORM EARLY ON 5 OCTOBER ABOUT 25 MILES EAST OF CAPE CANAVERAL FLORIDA. THE CYCLONE MOVED NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD PARALLEL TO THE FLORIDA EAST COAST FOR MOST OF THE DAY... BEFORE IT TURNED NORTHWESTWARD AND MADE LANDFALL ALONG THE NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA COAST NEAR MAYPORT VERY LATE THAT DAY WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 50 MPH. TAMMY MOVED WESTWARD OVER SOUTHERN GEORGIA AND SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA ON 6 OCTOBER BEFORE BECOMING ABSORBED BY A LARGER EXTRATROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CENTERED OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 3- 5 INCHES PRODUCED SOME MINOR FLOODING ACROSS NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA. SHORT-LIVED SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION TWENTY-TWO FORMED ON 8 OCTOBER ABOUT 615 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA FROM A NON-TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. THE CYCLONE MOVED NORTHWESTWARD TO WESTWARD AND DEGENERATED INTO A NON-CONVECTIVE LOW PRESSURE AREA ABOUT 175 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF BERMUDA ON 10 OCTOBER. THE REMNANTS OF THE DEPRESSION MERGED WITH A COLD FRONT ON 11 OCTOBER AND BECAME AN EXTRATROPICAL GALE CENTER OFF THE U. S. MID-ATLANTIC STATES ON 12 OCTOBER. THIS LOW WAS ABSORBED BY A LARGER NON-TROPICAL LOW ON 14 OCTOBER. NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES DUE TO THE DEPRESSION WERE RECEIVED. VINCE...THE FIRST KNOWN TROPICAL CYCLONE TO MAKE LANDFALL IN SPAIN... DEVELOPED FROM A NON-TROPICAL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE EASTERN ATLANTIC. THE LOW GRADUALLY ACQUIRED TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS... BECOMING A SUBTROPICAL STORM ON 8 OCTOBER AND A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY ABOUT 575 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AZORES. IT CONTINUED TO DEVELOP...BECOMING A HURRICANE LATE ON 9 OCTOBER AS IT MOVED SLOWLY NORTHEASTWARD TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE MADEIRA ISLANDS. IT WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY AS IT ACCELERATED EAST-NORTHEASTWARD. ON 11 OCTOBER...VINCE WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION SHORTLY BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL NEAR HUELVA SPAIN. THE CIRCULATION OF VINCE DISSIPATED SHORTLY AFTER THE CYCLONE MADE LANDFALL. NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE OR CASUALTIES WERE RECEIVED. WILMA FORMED FROM A LARGE AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER THAT STRETCHED ACROSS MUCH OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA DURING THE SECOND WEEK OF OCTOBER. A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM GRADUALLY BECAME DEFINED NEAR JAMAICA AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION DEVELOPED ABOUT 220 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAND CAYMAN ON 15 OCTOBER. THE TROPICAL CYCLONE MOVED ERRATICALLY WESTWARD AND SOUTHWARD FOR TWO DAYS WHILE SLOWLY STRENGTHENING TO A TROPICAL STORM. WILMA BECAME A HURRICANE AND BEGAN A WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION ON 18 OCTOBER. LATER THAT DAY...WILMA BEGAN TO EXPLOSIVELY DEEPEN. ON 19 OCTOBER IT BECAME A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE...AND ITS MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE DROPPED TO AN ESTIMATED 882 MB WHILE ITS VERY SMALL EYE WAS CENTERED ABOUT 365 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COZUMEL. THIS IS THE LOWEST PRESSURE ON RECORD FOR A HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN. WILMA.S MAXIMUM INTENSITY IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN 185 MPH. ON 20 OCTOBER WILMA WEAKENED SLIGHTLY AND TURNED NORTHWESTWARD TOWARD THE NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN PENINSULA. ON 21 OCTOBER...THE HURRICANE MADE LANDFALL OVER COZUMEL...AND EARLY THE NEXT DAY IT MADE LANDFALL OVER THE NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN PENINSULA...BOTH LANDFALLS AT CATEGORY 4 INTENSITY. WILMA MOVED SLOWLY AND WEAKENED OVER NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN AND EMERGED OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO EARLY ON 23 OCTOBER AS A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE. LATER THAT DAY IT TURNED NORTHEASTWARD AND ACCELERATED TOWARD THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA. THE HURRICANE STRENGTHENED AS IT APPROACHED THE SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA COAST... AND MADE LANDFALL NEAR CAPE ROMANO ON 24 OCTOBER WITH MAXIMUM WINDS NEAR 120 MPH...CATEGORY 3 INTENSITY. THE SYSTEM CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE NORTHEASTWARD...CROSSING FLORIDA IN LESS THAN 5 HOURS. WILMA MOVED INTO THE ATLANTIC JUST TO THE NORTH OF PALM BEACH AS A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE. IT REGAINED CATEGORY 3 STATUS JUST OFF THE EAST-CENTRAL COAST OF FLORIDA...BUT GRADUALLY WEAKENED THEREAFTER. THE HURRICANE MOVED RAPIDLY NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC AND LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS ABOUT 205 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF HALIFAX NOVA SCOTIA ON 25 OCTOBER. TWENTY-THREE DEATHS HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO WILMA. WILMA CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN...INCLUDING CANCUN AND COZUMEL...AND SOUTHERN FLORIDA. THE HURRICANE ALSO PRODUCED MAJOR FLOODING OVER WESTERN CUBA. THERE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN THE SOUTHWESTERN COASTAL AREA OF GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. DAMAGE IN THE UNITED STATES IS ESTIMATED AT $20.6 BILLION. DUE TO THE EXTREMELY ACTIVE 2005 HURRICANE SEASON... THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER HAD TO EMPLOY THE GREEK ALPHABET FOR THE FIRST TIME ...WHEN TROPICAL STORM ALPHA FORMED FROM A VIGOROUS TROPICAL WAVE NEAR THE WINDWARD ISLANDS ON 21 OCTOBER. SHOWER ACTIVITY BECAME CONCENTRATED SOUTH OF PUERTO RICO...AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMED EARLY ON 22 OCTOBER...BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY. ALPHA MOVED NORTHWESTWARD AND THE CYCLONE MADE LANDFALL NEAR BARAHONA IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WITH 50 MPH WINDS. ALPHA WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN OF HISPANIOLA...AND IT CONTINUED NORTHWESTWARD AND NORTHWARD OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE ATLANTIC ON 23 OCTOBER. THE CYCLONE DISSIPATED AS IT APPROACHED THE MUCH LARGER CIRCULATION OF HURRICANE WILMA ON 24 OCTOBER. ALPHA CAUSED 20 DEATHS IN HISPANIOLA...PRIMARILY FROM FRESH WATER FLOODS. BETA DEVELOPED OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA FROM A TROPICAL WAVE. A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM FORMED ALONG THE WAVE AXIS NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA ON 25 OCTOBER. THE SYSTEM BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION THE NEXT DAY ABOUT 105 MILES NORTH OF THE NORTH-CENTRAL COAST OF PANAMA. THE DEPRESSION MOVED SLOWLY NORTHWARD FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS...BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM ON 27 OCTOBER. BETA STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE ON 29 OCTOBER NEAR PROVIDENCIA ISLAND. IT THEN TURNED WESTWARD AND WEST- SOUTHWESTWARD AND STRENGTHENED INTO A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON 30 OCTOBER. BETA WEAKENED SLIGHTLY LATER THAT DAY AND MADE LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE ON THE CENTRAL EAST COAST OF NICARAGUA NEAR LA BARRA. THE CYCLONE MOVED WESTWARD OVER LAND AND DISSIPATED OVER WESTERN NICARAGUA EARLY ON 31 OCTOBER. BETA CAUSED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE ON PROVIDENCIA ISLAND. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES WAS REPORTED ALONG THE CENTRAL NICARAGUAN COAST. SIGNIFICANT FLOODING ALSO OCCURRED IN HONDURAS. THE VIGOROUS TROPICAL WAVE THAT SPAWNED GAMMA PASSED THROUGH THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS ON 13 NOVEMBER WHERE IT PRODUCED WIND GUSTS TO NEAR TROPICAL STORM-FORCE ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINFALL. EARLY ON 14 NOVEMBER...A TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMED OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA ABOUT 100 MILES WEST OF ST. VINCENT ISLAND. THE CYCLONE CONTINUED ON A WESTWARD TRACK AND BRIEFLY MAINTAINED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH ON 15 NOVEMBER BEFORE STRONG WESTERLY SHEAR DISPLACED THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TO THE EAST AND CAUSED THE CYCLONE TO DEGENERATE BACK INTO A TROPICAL WAVE. THE SYSTEM.S REMNANTS ACCELERATED WESTWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA ON 17 NOVEMBER BEFORE SLOWING DOWN AND REACHING THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA AND EASTERN HONDURAS ON 18 NOVEMBER. MEANWHILE...A LARGE NON-CONVECTIVE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER PANAMA MOVED NORTHWESTWARD AND MERGED WITH THE REMNANTS OF THE TROPICAL CYCLONE OVER CENTRAL HONDURAS. THIS MERGER RESULTED IN THE REFORMATION OF THE TROPICAL STORM LATE ON 18 NOVEMBER. GAMMA DRIFTED NORTHWARD OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA AND ITS MAXIMUM WINDS REACHED 50 MPH EAST OF ROATAN ISLAND ON 19 NOVEMBER. THE SYSTEM THEN TURNED SLOWLY SOUTHEASTWARD ON 20-21 NOVEMBER. UPPER-LEVEL NORTHWESTERLY SHEAR WEAKENED THE CYCLONE AND GAMMA DEGENERATED INTO A NON-CONVECTIVE REMNANT LOW LATE ON 21 NOVEMBER. IT LATER DISSIPATED ON 22 NOVEMBER JUST EAST OF THE NICARAGUA-HONDURAS BORDER. HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSED FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES IN HONDURAS AND BELIZE. THE FLOODS ASSOCIATED WITH GAMMA RESULTED IN A TOTAL OF 37 DEATHS... 34 IN HONDURAS AND 3 IN BELIZE. TEN BRIDGES WERE DESTROYED AND 7 MORE WERE DAMAGED IN HONDURAS. DELTA ORIGINATED FROM AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW THAT ON 19 NOVEMBER WAS LOCATED ABOUT 1380 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES. THE LOW MOVED EASTWARD AND THEN NORTHEASTWARD...REACHING A POSITION ABOUT 740 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES ON 22 NOVEMBER. THE LOW TURNED SOUTHWARD LATER THAT DAY AND DEVELOPED INTO A SUBTROPICAL STORM. DELTA BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON 23 NOVEMBER...AND WINDS REACHED 70 MPH THE NEXT DAY WHILE THE STORM MOVED SOUTHEASTWARD. THE CYCLONE MOVED ERRATICALLY SOUTHWARD THROUGH 26 NOVEMBER WHILE WEAKENING...THEN IT TURNED NORTHEASTWARD AND AND STRENGTHENED ON 27 NOVEMBER...WITH ITS MAXIMUM WINDS AGAIN REACHING 70 MPH. DELTA TURNED EASTWARD AND TRANSFORMED INTO A VIGOROUS EXTRATROPICAL LOW ON 28 NOVEMBER ABOUT 245 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF THE CANARY ISLANDS. THE EXTRATROPICAL LOW BROUGHT WIND GUSTS OF HURRICANE FORCE TO THE CANARY ISLANDS ON 28 NOVEMBER. SEVEN DEATHS IN THE CANARY ISLANDS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO THE EXTRATROPICAL STAGE OF DELTA. EPSILON...LIKE ITS IMMEDIATE PREDECESSOR...DEVELOPED FROM AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW. THIS LOW BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON 29 NOVEMBER OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC ABOUT 900 MILES EAST OF BERMUDA. THE STORM MOVED WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD ON 29-30 NOVEMBER...THEN MADE A CYCLONIC LOOP ON 1 DECEMBER. EPSILON TURNED EAST-NORTHEASTWARD ON 2 DECEMBER AND BECAME A HURRICANE ABOUT 975 MILES EAST OF BERMUDA. THE HURRICANE MOVED SLOWLY EASTWARD FROM 3-5 DECEMBER...REACHING A PEAK INTENSITY OF 85 MPH ON 5 DECEMBER. THE CYCLONE TURNED SOUTHWESTWARD ON 6 DECEMBER. EPSILON WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM ON 7 DECEMBER...THEN DEGENERATED TO A REMNANT LOW PRESSURE AREA THE NEXT DAY ABOUT 1175 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES. THE LOW DISSIPATED THE FOLLOWING DAY. ZETA WAS THE SECOND LATEST TROPICAL STORM TO FORM IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN...AND IT WAS ALSO OF NON-TROPICAL ORIGIN. A LOW-LEVEL TROUGH WAS OBSERVED IN THE EASTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN ON 28 DECEMBER...SPAWNING A NON-TROPICAL LOW ON 29 DECEMBER...ABOUT 775 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. THE LOW BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION AND THEN A TROPICAL STORM ON 30 DECEMBER. ZETA MOVED GENERALLY NORTHWESTWARD ON 30-31 DECEMBER...THEN MOVED GENERALLY SOUTHWESTWARD ON 1-4 JANUARY. IT REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 65 MPH ON BOTH 1 JANUARY AND 3 JANUARY. ZETA TURNED WESTWARD LATE ON 4 JANUARY AND WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ON 5 JANUARY. IT WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 6 JANUARY AND DEGENERATED TO A REMNANT LOW LATER THAN DAY ABOUT 1080 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA. THE LOW DISSIPATED ON 7 JANUARY AND NO REPORTS OF CASUALTIES OR DAMAGE WERE RECEIVED. SUMMARY TABLE NAME DATES MAX WIND DEATHS U.S. DAMAGE MPH $MILLION --------------------------------------------------------------- TS ARLENE 8-13 JUN 70 1 MINOR TS BRET 28-29 JUN 40 1 0 H CINDY 3-7 JUL 75 1 320 H DENNIS 4-13 JUL 150 42 2230 H EMILY 11-21 JUL 160 6 MINOR TS FRANKLIN 21-29 JUL 70 0 0 TS GERT 23-25 JUL 45 0 0 TS HARVEY 2-8 AUG 65 0 0 H IRENE 4-18 AUG 105 0 0 TD TEN 13-14 AUG 35 0 0 TS JOSE 22-23 AUG 60 6 0 H KATRINA 23-30 AUG 175 1500 81000 TS LEE 28 AUG - 2 SEP 40 0 0 H MARIA 1-10 SEP 115 0 0 H NATE 5-10 SEP 90 0 0 H OPHELIA 6-17 SEP 85 1 70 H PHILIPPE 17-23 SEP 80 0 0 H RITA 18-26 SEP 180 7 11300 TD NINETEEN 30 SEP - 2 OCT 30 0 0 H STAN 1-5 OCT 80 80 0 SS UNNAMED 4-5 OCT 50 0 0 TS TAMMY 5-6 OCT 50 0 MINOR SD TWENTY-TWO 8-10 OCT 35 0 0 H VINCE 8-11 OCT 75 0 0 H WILMA 15-25 OCT 185 23 20600 TS ALPHA 22-24 OCT 50 26 0 H BETA 26-31 OCT 115 0 0 TS GAMMA 14-21 NOV 50 37 0 TS DELTA 22-28 NOV 70 0 0 H EPSILON 29 NOV - 8 DEC 85 0 0 TS ZETA 30 DEC - 6 JAN 65 0 0 -------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE...DATES BASED ON COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC) FORECASTER STEWART/BEVEN/AVILA/FRANKLIN/KNABB/PASCH/BLAKE
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