1983 Atlantic hurricane season
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 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | August 15, 1983 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | September 30, 1983 |
| Strongest storm: | Alicia - 963 mbar (28.44 inHg), 115 mph (185 km/h) |
| Total storms: | 4 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 1 |
| Total damage: | $2 billion (1983 USD) $5.1 billion (2005 USD) |
| Total fatalities: | 22 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 |
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The 1983 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1983, and lasted until November 30, 1983. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season had very little activity, with only four named storms, less than half of the average ten. It is the least active season since ACE recording began in 1950, but not since 1900.
The most notable storm of 1983 was Hurricane Alicia, which travelled inland over the U.S. city of Houston, Texas; it was the first hurricane to strike the nation in over three years, ending what was (as of the 2006 season) the longest such gap recorded. Hurricane Barry was responsible for widespread damage to Mexican fishing villages near the US-Mexico border.
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[edit] Seasonal activity
The 1983 season was low on activity, as six depressions formed. The first storm formed on August 15 which by average is a late start. Four of the depressions became storms with three of them becoming hurricanes. There was only major hurricane this year, Hurricane Alicia, which battered the area of Houston. Alicia was the last major hurricane to make landfall in Texas until 1999 when Hurricane Bret made landfall in Texas. Hurricane Barry made landfall in Mexico, Florida and Texas, killing one person. Barry also cured a severe drought in Mexico. Hurricane Chantal was the only storm of the year not to make landfall. Dean made landfall in the Eastern Shore of Virginia causing beach erosion and flooding. The two other known depressions formed near the Lesser Antilles, but wind shear weakened them before they could develop.
The season was very inactive because of strong upper-level wind shear. The wind shear was contributed by a variety of factors including an El Niño and a slow phase in a cycle of Atlantic hurricane favorability. The wind shear was unusually strong throughout the Caribbean and open Atlantic. It disrupted convection in areas of disturbed weather so they could not develop. The area where the shear was minimal - a region encompassing the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic north of the Bahamas and east of Florida - was where the four named storms developed. This makes the 1983 season the least active season since the 1930 season which had two storms.
[edit] Storms
[edit] Hurricane Alicia
- Main article: Hurricane Alicia
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| Duration | August 15, 1983—August 21, 1983 | |||
| Intensity | 115 mph (120 km/h), 962 mbar | |||
Alicia formed in the north-central Gulf of Mexico on August 15. It travelled west, strengthening into a hurricane. It quickly reached Category 3 strength as it approached the Texas coastline, and made landfall at Galveston, Texas on August 18 at maximum intensity. The storm moved northward, its eye passing over Houston. Alicia retained its tropical characteristics well inland, finally becoming extratropical and merging with another system over northern Kansas on the 21st.
Houston suffered heavy damage, including thousands of shattered glass panes from downtown skyscrapers. In the end, Alicia killed 22 people and caused $2 billion (1983 US dollars) in damage ($5.1 billion in 2000 dollars).
Alicia was the first storm for which the National Hurricane Center issued numeric landfall probabilities. Probabilities had been calculated for prior storms for use in the issuing of hurricane watches and warnings, but this was the first time the raw numeric probabilities were released to the public. The probabilities issued were accurate, indicating that Galveston and surrounding portions of the upper Texas coast were the most likely area to be struck. [1] [2]
[edit] Hurricane Barry
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| Duration | August 24, 1983—August 29, 1983 | |||
| Intensity | 80 mph (125 km/h), 986 mbar (29.12 inHg) | |||
An African tropical wave crossed the Atlantic Ocean and briefly strengthened into Tropical Storm Barry just off the east coast of Florida on August 24. Barry weakened to a depression as it made landfall near Melbourne, but crossed the Florida peninsula intact and continued west across the Gulf of Mexico. In the central Gulf, it began restrengthening, and was a minimal Category 1 hurricane when it struck northeastern Mexico.
No casualties were reported from Barry, but thirty fishing boats were sunk in Mexico, along with the destruction of several hundred homes. Barry is credited with helping to relieve drought conditions in inland parts of northeastern Mexico. Along the Texas coast, beach erosion was caused from 1 to 2 feet higher than normal waves. A storm tide of 3 to 4 feet was recorded in Mexican fishing villages. Winds were gusting in excess of 50 mph off the South Padre Island coast. 4000+ people were evacuated from South Padre Island in preparation of Hurricane Barry. Damage included four hundred homeless people & a major loss of shrimping nets. [3] [4]
[edit] Hurricane Chantal
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| Duration | September 10, 1983—September 14, 1983 | |||
| Intensity | 75 mph (120 km/h), 992 mbar | |||
An area of disturbed weather 200 km south of Bermuda. The area of disturbed weather strengthened into the fifth tropical depression of the 1983 season. Air Force Reconnaissance aircraft found winds of 35 knots and was named Tropical Storm Chantal. Chantal continued to intensify and strengthened to a minimal hurricane with 75 mph winds on September 11 until the 13th when it weakened back into a tropical storm. Chantal travelled generally northeast and missed the island of Bermuda. Chantal lost its circulation and dissipated in the face of a frontal system on the 15th as a depression. As Chantal never made landfall, no damage or fatalities were reported in association the storm. [5]
[edit] Tropical Storm Dean
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| Duration | September 26, 1983—September 30, 1983 | |||
| Intensity | 55 mph (120 km/h), 999 mbar | |||
Dean was a short-lived storm that had its origins as a subtropical storm that developed between Bermuda and the Bahamas on September 26. The subtropical storm headed north-northeast and became tropical the next day. Gale warnings were issued from North Carolina to New England in association with Dean's landfall. It then turned northwest, and struck the coast of Virginia on September 30. It dissipated several hours later. Dean was one of two tropical storms ever to make landfall in Eastern Shore of Virginia, the other storm being Tropical Storm Bret of the 1981 season. Damage was limited to minor beach erosion and flooding along the portion of Mid-Atlantic coast states. [6] [7]
[edit] Other storms
There were also two tropical depressions that did not develop into tropical storms. Both developed near the Lesser Antilles in the latter part of July. Powerful wind shear destroyed both before they could strengthen.
[edit] Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Rating
| ACE (104kt2) – Storm: [8] | |||||||||||
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| 1 | 6.38 | Alicia | 2 | 4.27 | Chantal | ||||||
| 3 | 3.14 | Barry | 4 | 3.07 | Dean | ||||||
| Total = 16.86 (17) | |||||||||||
The table on the right shows the ACE for each storm in the season. The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so hurricanes that lasted a long time have higher ACEs (such as Alicia). The 1983 season had an ACE of 16.86 (17) which is below average and currently the lowest season on record since the 1914 season which had 2.53 in ACE.
[edit] 1983 storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1983. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 1989 season. It was the first time these names had been used since the post-1978 change in naming. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.
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[edit] Retirement
- See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes
The World Meteorological Organization retired one name in the spring of 1984: Alicia. It was replaced in the 1989 season by Allison.
[edit] See also
- List of notable Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
- 1983 Pacific hurricane season
- 1983 Pacific typhoon season
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Monthly Weather Review
- Detailed information on all storms from 1983 from NHC
- U.S. Rainfall information for storms from 1983 from HPC
