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

 

...SUMMARY OF ATLANTIC TROPICAL CYCLONES FOR SEPTEMBER 2004...

 

NOTE...MANY OF THE ESTIMATES OF WIND SPEEDS...DEATHS...AND DAMAGES

CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE...PENDING A

POST-ANALYSIS OF ALL AVAILABLE DATA.

 

FIVE TROPICAL CYCLONES FORMED DURING SEPTEMBER. ALSO...HURRICANE

FRANCES...WHICH FORMED IN AUGUST...HIT FLORIDA AS A CATEGORY 2

HURRICANE.

 

FRANCES FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE AND BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION

OVER THE FAR EASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC OCEAN ON 24 AUGUST. MOVING

WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWESTWARD...THE DEPRESSION BECAME A TROPICAL

STORM THE NEXT DAY AND A HURRICANE ON 26 AUGUST WHILE LOCATED IN

THE CENTRAL TROPICAL ATLANTIC. STEADILY STRENGTHENING...FRANCES

TURNED WESTWARD ON 30 AUGUST. FRANCES PASSED ABOUT 125 MILES NORTH

OF PUERTO RICO WITH WINDS OF 140 MPH ON 31 AUGUST...THEN IT TURNED

WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ON 1 SEPTEMBER. THIS BROUGHT THE HURRICANE NEAR

THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ON 2

SEPTEMBER WITH WINDS OF 145 MPH...CATEGORY FOUR ON THE

SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. FRANCES TURNED NORTHWESTWARD AND

WEAKENED TO A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE AS IT PASSED OVER SAN

SALVADOR ISLAND LATER THAT DAY. IT MOVED SLOWLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD

THROUGH THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS ON 3-4 SEPTEMBER WHILE WEAKENING

TO A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE. THE CENTER OF FRANCES REACHED THE

FLROIDA EAST COAST NEAR SEWALL'S POINT EARLY ON 5 SEPTEMBER...THEN

CONTINUED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL FLOIRDA PENINSULA

TO THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO BY EARLY ON 6 SEPTEMBER.

FRANCES WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM OVER FLORIDA...AND IT WAS

STILL A TROPICAL STORM WHEN IT MADE A FINAL LANDFALL NEAR ST. MARKS

FLORIDA LATER THAT DAY. FRANCES MOVED GENERALLY NORTHWARD ACROSS

THE EASTERN UNITED STATES...FINALLY DISSIPATING OVER SOUTHEASTERN

CANADA ON 9 SEPTEMBER. SO FAR...FRANCES IS BELIEVED TO BE

RESPONSIBLE FOR 23 DEATHS. IT LEFT A BROAD TRAIL OF DAMAGE THROUGH

THE BAHAMAS AND FLORIDA INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES.

 

IVAN WAS A CLASSICAL LONG-LIVED CAPE VERDE HURRICANE THAT MADE TWO

LANDFALLS ALONG THE U.S. COAST AND REACHED CATEGORY 5 STRENGTH THREE

TIMES. IVAN DEVELOPED FROM A VIGOROUS TROPICAL WAVE THAT MOVED OFF

THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA ON 31 AUGUST. THE SYSTEM QUICKLY

STRENGTHENED AND BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 2 SEPTEMBER...A

TROPICAL STORM ON THE 3RD...A HURRICANE EARLY ON THE 5TH...AND A

MAJOR HURRICANE LATER THAT SAME DAY. IVAN MOVED WESTWARD FOR THE

NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND PASSED OVER THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS

WHERE IT CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIFE...ESPECIALLY ON

GRANADA. IVAN THEN MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN

CARIBBEAN SEA PASSING JUST NORTH OF VENEZUELA AND THE NETHERLANDS

ANTILLES. IVAN REACHED RARE CATEGORY 5 STRENGTH WHILE OVER THE

CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA EARLY ON 9 SEPTEMBER AS IT MOVED TOWARD THE

ISLAND NATION OF JAMAICA. AS IVAN APPROACHED JAMAICA...IT WEAKENED

TO A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE LATER THAT DAY AS THE CENTER MOVED SLOWLY

WESTWARD JUST SOUTH OF THE ISLAND. AFTER PASSING JAMAICA...IVAN

BRIEFLY REGAINED CATEGORY 5 STRENGTH ON 11 SEPTEMBER WHEN THE

HURRICANE WAS SOUTH OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. ONCE AGAIN...IVAN

INFLICTED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIFE...THIS TIME ON GRAND

CAYMAN ISLAND AS THE HURRICANE HEADED TOWARD WESTERN CUBA. IVAN

REMAINED AT CATEGORY 5 STRENGTH UNTIL EARLY ON 12 SEPTEMBER.

HOWEVER...BY EARLY ON 13 SEPTEMBER...IVAN ONCE AGAIN BECAME A

CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE FOR THE THIRD AND FINAL TIME. WESTERN CUBA WAS

SPARED THE BRUNT OF HURRICANE IVAN AS THE SMALL EYE MOVED THROUGH

THE YUCATAN CHANNEL INSTEAD. FOR THE NEXT 3 DAYS...IVAN MOVED

NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AND SLOWLY WEAKENED UNTIL IT

MADE ITS FIRST U.S. LANDFALL NEAR GULF SHORES ALABAMA AS A CATEGORY

3 HURRICANE EARLY ON 16 SEPTEMBER. AFTER LANDFALL...IVAN GRADUALLY

WEAKENED OVER THE NEXT WEEK WHILE MAKING A LARGE CLOCKWISE LOOP.

IVAN MOVED NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. AND EMERGED OFF

THE DELMARVA PENINSULA ON 19 SEPTEMBER AS AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW. THE

REMNANT CIRCULATION OF IVAN THEN MOVED SOUTHWESTWARD JUST OFF THE

SOUTHEASTERN U.S. COAST AND PASSED OVER SOUTH FLORIDA AND INTO THE

GULF OF MEXICO ON 21 SEPTEMBER. IVAN BECAME A TROPICAL STORM AGAIN

ON THE 23RD AND MADE ITS 2ND LANDFALL OVER EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN

LOUISIANA ON THE 24TH. IVAN FINALLY DISSIPATED INLAND OVER EAST

TEXAS LATER THAT DAY.

 

TROPICAL DEPRESSION TEN FORMED FROM AN AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER

ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL WAVE THAT MOVED OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA

ON 29 AUGUST. THE WEATHER AREA MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO

WESTWARD FOR SEVERAL DAYS UNDER STRONG VERTICAL SHEAR CONDITIONS

BEFORE TURNING NORTHWARD OVER THE EASTERN ATLANTIC ON 7 SEPTEMBER.

EARLY ON 9 SEPTEMBER...THE DISTURBED AREA FORMED INTO A TROPICAL

DEPRESSION ABOUT 420 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES ISLANDS.

THE DEPRESSION MOVED SLOWLY NORTHEASTWARD AND THEN TURNED

SOUTHEASTWARD BEFORE DISSIPATING LATER THAT DAY ABOUT 380 MILES

WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES.

 

HURRICANE JEANNE ORIGINATED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE AND BECAME A

TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON 13 SEPTEMBER WHILE LOCATED OVER THE TROPICAL

ATLANTIC OCEAN JUST EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. JEANNE MOVED

WEST-NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON THE 14TH WHILE

STRENGTHENING TO A TROPICAL STORM. IT MOVED SLOWLY OVER THE VIRGIN

ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO ON THE 15TH AND THEN SLOWLY OVER THE

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND HAITI ON THE 16TH AND 17TH...ACCOMPANIED BY

TORRENTIAL RAINS AND WINDS TO NEAR HURRICANE FORCE. JEANNE BRIEFLY

BECAME A HURRICANE OVER THE MONA PASSAGE BUT THEN WEAKENED WHILE

INTERACTING WITH THE HIGH TERRAIN OF HISPANIOLA. JEANNE TURNED

NORTHWARD ON THE 18TH AND MOVED OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AS A

TROPICAL STORM. JEANNE DRIFTED NORTHWARD AND STRENGTHENED...

BECOMING A HURRICANE ON THE 20TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 400 MILES EAST

OF FREEPORT IN THE BAHAMAS. THE HURRICANE MOVED ALONG A SLOW

CLOCKWISE LOOP FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND STRENGTHENED TO A CATEGORY TWO

HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON SCALE. THE LOOP WAS COMPLETED BY

THE 23RD AND JEANNE BEGAN A TRACK JUST NORTH OF DUE WESTWARD. ON

THE 25TH...JEANNES LARGE EYE DIRECTLY HIT ABACOS ISLAND AND THEN

GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND IN THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS WHILE STRENGTHENING

TO A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE. THE LARGE EYE MADE LANDFALL ON THE

EAST COAST OF FLORIDA NEAR STUART AS A CATEGORY THREE. IT IS

NOTABLE THAT HURRICANE FRANCES MADE LANDFALL NEAR THIS SAME

LOCATION JUST 20 DAYS EARLIER AND ALSO MOVED OVER THE SAME ISLANDS

IN THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS. JEANNE WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM

OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN FLORIDA WHILE TURNING NORTHWARD.

JEANNE WEAKENED TO A DEPRESSION OVER GEORGIA AND RECURVED OVER THE

MID-ATLANTIC COASTAL STATES ON THE 28TH AND 29TH ACCOMPANIED BY

HEAVY RAIN. ON THE 30TH...JEANEE HAD BECOME AN EXTRATROPICAL

FRONTAL LOW LOCATED A FEW HUNDRED MILES SOUTH OF NOVA SCOTIA. THE

DEATH TOTALS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND HAITI ARE NOT YET KNOWN

BUT ESTIMATES FROM NEWS SOURCES RANGE TO OVER 2000 DEATHS IN HAITI

FROM INLAND FLOODING. ONE DIRECT DEATH WAS REPORTED FROM PUERTO

RICO AND TWO DIRECT DEATHS WERE REPORTED IN FLORIDA. THE U.S.

DAMAGE ESTIMATE IS NOT YET AVAILABLE.

 

HURRICANE KARL DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE...BECOMING A

DEPRESSION ABOUT 670 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS

ON 16 SEPTEMBER. INITIALLY MOVING WESTWARD...THE CYCLONE TURNED

WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AS IT BECAME TROPICAL STORM KARL ON 17

SEPTEMBER. KARL THEN TURNED NOTHWESTWARD AS IT BECAME A HURRICANE

THE NEXT DAY. KARL MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTHWESTWARD ON

19-20 SEPTEMBER AS IT BECAME A MAJOR HURRICANE. MAXIMUM SUSTIANED

WINDS REACHED AN ESTIMATED 140 MPH ON 21 SEPTEMBER AS KARL TURNED

NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD. KARL TURNED NORTHWARD ON 22 SEPTEMBER AND

NORTHEASTWARD THE NEXT DAY WHILE SHOWING FLUCUATIONS IN STRENGTH.

IT THEN TURNED NORTHWARD AND LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS ABOUT

935 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE AZORES ON 24 SEPTEMBER.

 

TROPICAL STORM LISA DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE...BECOMING A

DEPRESSION ON 19 SEPTEMBER ABOUT 645 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE

CAPE VERDE ISLANDS...AND A TROPICAL STORM THE NEXT DAY. LISA MOVED

WESTWARD FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS...AND THEN INTERACTED WITH ANOTHER

TROPICAL WAVE DISTURBANCE APPROACHING LISA FROM THE EAST. THE

DISTURBANCE AND LISA LOOPED ABOUT EACH OTHER ON 22 AND 23 SEPTEMBER

UNTIL THE DISTURBANCE WAS ABSORBED INTO LISA'S CIRCULATION. LISA

THEN CONTINUED WESTWARD ON 24 SEPTEMBER BEFORE TURNING NORTHWARD IN

THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC. MOVING SLOWLY FOR SEVERAL DAYS...LISA

INTENSIFIED GRADUALLY AND AT MONTH'S END HAD WINDS OF 70 MPH AND

WAS LOCATED ABOUT 1200 MILES WEST OF THE AZORES.

 

PRELIMINARY STATISTICS

 

NAME DATES MAX WIND DEATHS U.S. DAMAGE

(MPH) ($MILLIONS)

-------------------------------------------------------------

H FRANCES 24 AUG - 9 SEP 145 23 N/A

H IVAN 2 -24 SEP 165 90 N/A

TD TEN 7 - 9 SEP 35

H JEANNE 13-29 SEP 120 2000+ N/A

H KARL 16-24 SEP 140

TS LISA 19 SEP- 70

-------------------------------------------------------------

N/A = NOT YET AVAILABLE

 

FORECASTER PASCH/STEWART/FRANKLIN/BEVEN/AVILA

 

 

$$

Fix your title, Mr. Prez; it has the wrong year.

Fix your title, Mr. Prez; it has the wrong year.

580064[/snapback]

I put 2004, whatever. Cape fix it mas rapido.