ATLANTIC PAGE

*Mitch was a rare Category V hurricane in October*

**Mitch had 5th lowest pressure in the Atlantic basin**

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ALEX (7/27-8/3)

MAX WINDS=50 MPH MIN PRESS=1000 mb CATEGORY=TS

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Alex Tracking Details

Alex Tracking Data

ALEX FORMED OVER THE EASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC ABOUT 350 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS ON JUL 27...BECOMING A TROPICAL STORM LATE THE FOLLOWING DAY. IT MOVED GENERALLY WEST- NORTHWESTWARD...REACHING ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 60 MPH LATE ON JUL 30 LOCATED ABOUT 900 MILES EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. THE SYSTEM WEAKENED TO DISSIPATION ABOUT 300 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON AUG 2.

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BONNIE(6/19-6/21)

MAX WINDS=115 MPH MIN PRESS=954 mb CATEGORY=MAJ HURR 3

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Bonnie Tracking Details

Bonnie Tracking Data

BONNIE DEVELOPED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE ATLANTIC ABOUT 900 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON AUG 19 AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM A DAY LATER. IT MOVED ON A WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TRACK... SKIRTING THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. LATE ON THE 21ST THE STORM STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE LOCATED ABOUT 200 MILES NORTH- NORTHEAST OF EASTERN HISPANIOLA. BONNIE STRENGTHENED TO ITS MAXIMUM WINDS OF 115 MPH LATE ON THE 23RD WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 175 MILES EAST OF SAN SALVADOR IN THE BAHAMAS. THE HURRICANE TURNED TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AND STAYED EAST OF THE BAHAMAS.

BONNIE THEN HEADED TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST...IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE CAROLINAS...GRADUALLY TURNING TOWARD THE NORTH- NORTHWEST AND THEN NORTH. AS THE CENTER NEARED THE COAST...ITS FORWARD SPEED SLOWED. THE EYE OF BONNIE PASSED JUST EAST OF CAPE FEAR NORTH CAROLINA LATE ON THE 26TH. BONNIE MADE LANDFALL NEAR WILMINGTON AS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE EARLY ON THE 27TH. IT WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM WHILE MOVING SLOWLY OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. AS THE STORM MOVED OFF THE COAST IN THE VICINITY OF THE OUTER BANKS NEAR KITTY HAWK...IT RE-STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE. BONNIE SOON WEAKENED BACK TO A TROPICAL STORM AS MOVED NORTHEASTWARD TO EASTWARD OVER THE ATLANTIC INTO COOLER WATERS...BECOMING EXTRATROPICAL ABOUT 240 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CAPE RACE NEWFOUNDLAND. THREE DEATHS WERE CAUSED BY BONNIE AND THE DAMAGE TOTAL IS ESTIMATED TO BE $720 MILLION.

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CHARLEY (8/21-8/22)

MAX WINDS=60 MPH MIN PRESS=1003 mb CATEGORY=MAJ HURR 4

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Charley Tracking Details

Charley Tracking Data

CHARLEY DEVELOPED FROM AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE THAT WAS TRACKED FROM THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO INTO THE CENTRAL GULF. THE SYSTEM FORMED INTO A DEPRESSION EARLY ON AUG 21 CENTERED ABOUT 275 MILES OFF THE SOUTH TEXAS COAST. THE SYSTEM STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT SAME DAY. CHARLEY REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY OF 70 MPH SHORTLY BEFORE MOVING INLAND NEAR PORT ARANSAS TEXAS EARLY ON AUG 22. AFTER LANDFALL THE SURFACE CIRCULATION WEAKENED TO NEAR DISSIPATION BUT A SLOW-MOVING CIRCULATION ALOFT PERSISTED IN THE VICINITY OF DEL RIO TEXAS. THIS SYSTEM GENERATED FLOODING RAINS THAT WERE MOST DEVASTATING IN THAT AREA ON AUG 23-24. THE DEATH TOLL CURRENTLY STANDS AT 20 AND TOTAL DAMAGES ARE NEAR $50 MILLION.

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DANIELLE (8/24-9/3)

MAX WINDS=105 MPH MIN PRESS=955 mb CATEGORY=HURRICANE 2

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Danielle Tracking Details

Danielle Tracking Data

THE TROPICAL DEPRESSION THAT WAS TO BECOME DANIELLE FORMED EARLY ON AUG 24 ABOUT 700 MILES WEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. TROPICAL STORM STATUS WAS REACHED LATER THAT DAY. MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ...DANIELLE RAPIDLY STRENGTHENED INTO A HURRICANE AND REACHED THE FIRST OF SEVERAL PEAK INTENSITIES NEAR 105 MPH WHILE CENTERED ABOUT 1040 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS ...THE HURRICANE CONTINUED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD...GRADUALLY SLOWING IN FORWARD SPEED. DANIELLE TURNED NORTHWESTWARD AND NORTHWARD ON AUG 30-31...PASSING WELL EAST OF THE BAHAMAS. IT THEN TURNED NORTHEASTWARD AT INCREASING FORWARD SPEED...PASSING ABOUT 230 MILES NORTHWEST OF BERMUDA EARLY ON SEP 2...AND WINDS AT BERMUDA BRIEFLY REACHED TROPICAL STORM FORCE. DANIELLE LOST TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS ABOUT 260 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF CAPE RACE LATE ON SEP 3.

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EARL(8/31-9/03)

MAX WINDS=105 MPH MIN PRESS=986 mb CATEGORY=HURRICANE 2

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Earl Tracking Details

Earl Tracking Data

My Report of Earl from my WX 200 Weather Station
EARL DEVELOPED OVER THE SOUTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO ON AUG 31. THE TROPICAL DEPRESSION BECAME A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY BUT HAD A POORLY-DEFINED CENTER THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO TRACK. THE GENERAL MOTION WAS NORTH AND THEN NORTHEASTWARD...BECOMING A HURRICANE LOCATED ABOUT 150 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS. AFTER BRIEFLY REACHING 100 MPH WINDS...EARL MADE LANDFALL OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE NEAR PANAMA CITY AS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE EARLY ON SEP 3. IT WEAKENED TO BELOW HURRICANE STRENGTH SOON AFTER MAKING LANDFALL AND BECAME EXTRATROPICAL ON SEP 3 WHILE MOVING NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH GEORGIA. EARL WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THREE DEATHS AND THE TOTAL DAMAGE ESTIMATE IS $79 MILLION.

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FRANCES(9/8-9/12)

MAX WINDS=65 MPH MIN PRESS=990 mb CATEGORY=TS

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Frances Tracking Details

Frances Tracking Data

FRANCES FORMED IN THE GULF OF MEXICO ABOUT 160 MILES EAST OF BROWNSVILLE ON SEP 8. THE DEPRESSION DRIFTED SOUTHWARD FOR ABOUT A DAY. THE CYCLONE BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON SEP 10 AND MOVED NORTH TO NORTHWESTWARD...MOVING INLAND ACROSS THE TEXAS COAST JUST NORTH OF CORPUS CHRISTI EARLY ON SEP 11...BY WHICH TIME IT HAD STRENGTHENED TO 65 MPH. FRANCES CENTER MOVED IN A SMALL LOOP OVER SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS. WEAKENING TO A DEPRESSION...FRANCES THEN MOVED NORTHWARD TO THE TEXAS/OKLAHOMA BORDER NORTH OF DALLAS WHERE IT DISSIPATED ON SEP 13. A REMNANT LOW PRESSURE AND RAINFALL AREA COULD BE TRACKED NORTHWARD TO IOWA A DAY LATER. FRANCES CAUSED ONE DEATH AND AN ESTIMATED $500 MILLION IN DAMAGE.

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GEORGES(9/15-9/29)

MAX WINDS=150 MPH MIN PRESS=938 mb CATEGORY=MAJ HURR 4

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Georges Tracking Details

Georges Tracking Data

GEORGES FORMED IN THE FAR EASTERN ATLANTIC FROM A TROPICAL WAVE EARLY ON THE 15TH...AND BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON THE MORNING OF THE 16TH. BY LATE AFTERNOON ON THE 17TH...SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATED THAT GEORGES DEVELOPED AN EYE AND HAD BECOME A HURRICANE. GEORGES MOVED ON A GENERAL WEST TO WEST-NORTHWEST COURSE AT 15 TO 20 MPH FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. DURING THIS PERIOD...GEORGES IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE REACHED A PEAK INTENSITY OF 155 MPH...CATEGORY 4 ...AND A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 937 MB EARLY ON THE 20TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 420 MILES EAST OF GUADELOUPE IN THE LESSER ANTILLES. GEORGES FIRST OF MANY LANDFALLS OCCURRED AT ANTIGUA IN THE LEEWARD ISLANDS LATE ON THE 20TH. AFTER MOVING NEAR OR OVER OTHER ISLANDS OF THE NORTHEAST CARIBBEAN INCLUDING THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...IT THEN HIT PUERTO RICO ON THE EVENING OF THE 21ST WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS OF 115 MPH. GEORGES WEAKENED VERY LITTLE WHILE OVER PUERTO RICO AND WAS EVEN STRONGER WHEN IT MADE LANDFALL IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON THE AFTERNOON OF SEP 22 WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS OF 120 MPH. GEORGES WEAKENED AFTER CROSSING THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OF HISPANIOLA AND MADE LANDFALL IN EASTERN CUBA ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 23RD WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS OF 75 MPH.

THE HURRICANE CONTINUED ALONG THE NORTHERN COAST OF CUBA FOR MOST OF THE 24TH. THEREAFTER...GEORGES MOVED INTO THE FLORIDA STRAITS EARLY ON THE 25TH AND RE-INTENSIFIED MAKING LANDFALL NEAR KEY WEST FLORIDA ON MID-MORNING OF THE 25TH WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS OF 105 MPH. GEORGES CONTINUED ON A GENERAL WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWEST TRACK ON THE 26TH AND 27TH...TURNING TO A NORTH-NORTHWEST HEADING AND GRADUALLY SLOWING DOWN AS IT APPROACHED THE COAST OF THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. GEORGES MADE ITS FINAL LANDFALL NEAR BILOXI MISSISSIPPI EARLY ON SEP 28 WITH 105 MPH WINDS. GEORGES MEANDERED OVER LAND AND WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM LATER THAT DAY. GEORGES WAS DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION BY MID-MORNING ON THE 29TH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 35 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF MOBILE ALABAMA. THE REMNANT WEAK CIRCULATION CENTER MOVED OFF THE GEORGIA/SOUTH CAROLINA COAST ON THE 1ST OF OCTOBER BECOMING INVOLVED WITH A FRONTAL ZONE AND DISSIPATING. GEORGES CAUSED 1 DEATH AND THE TOTAL U.S. DAMAGE ESTIMATE IS $5.1 BILLION.

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HERMINE(9/17-9/20)

MAX WINDS=45 MPH MIN PRESS=999 mb CATEGORY=TS

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Hermine Tracking Details

Hermine Tracking Data

HERMINE DEVELOPED FROM AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED OVER THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN. IT MOVED INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO AND BECAME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON SEP 17. AFTER MOVING ON A LOOPING TRACK FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS...THE SYSTEM STRENGTHENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM WHEN LOCATED ABOUT 180 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF NEW ORLEANS ON SEP 19. AFTER REACHING A PEAK INTENSITY OF 45 MPH...HERMINE MOVED NORTHWARD AND CROSSED THE COAST OF LOUISIANA NEAR COCODRIE AS A 40- MPH STORM. THERE WERE APPARENTLY NO CASUALTIES OR SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.

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IVAN(9/20-9/27)

MAX WINDS=90 MPH MIN PRESS=975 mb CATEGORY=HURRICANE 1

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Ivan Tracking Details

Ivan Tracking Data

IVAN FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE LOCATED ABOUT 200 MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. IT REMAINED OVER THE EASTERN ATLANTIC MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE CYCLONE BECAME A TROPICAL STORM ON SEP 20 WHEN LOCATED ABOUT 500 MILES WEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS...AND A HURRICANE ABOUT 900 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES ON SEP 23. AFTER TURNING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST...IVAN STRENGTHENED TO A PEAK INTENSITY OF 90 MPH WHILE LOCATED ABOUT 300 MILES WEST OF THE AZORES EARLY ON THE 26TH. IVAN TURNED TOWARD THE EAST AND WEAKENED WHILE PASSING OVER COOLER WATERS TO THE NORTH OF THE AZORES. IT BECAME EXTRATROPICAL EARLY ON THE 27TH.

© 1998,1999

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JEANNE(9/21-10/1)

MAX WINDS=105 MPH MIN PRESS=970 mb CATEGORY=HURRICANE 2

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Jeanne Tracking Details

Jeanne Tracking Data

JEANNE BECAME A TROPICAL STORM UNUSUALLY FAR TO THE EAST...CLOSE TO THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA EARLY ON SEP 21 AND INTENSIFIED INTO A HURRICANE THE FOLLOWING DAY. IT BRUSHED THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS WHILE MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS...REACHING A PEAK INTENSITY OF 105 MPH ON THE 24TH ABOUT 650 MILES WEST OF THOSE ISLANDS. THE HURRICANE TURNED TOWARD THE NORTH OVER THE EAST- CENTRAL ATLANTIC LATE ON THE 26TH...THEN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AND EAST-NORTHEAST. JEANNE WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM ON SEP 29... THEN DROPPED BELOW STORM STRENGTH IN THE VICINITY OF THE AZORES AND LOST ITS TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS LATE ON THE 30TH.

© 1998,1999