1984 Atlantic hurricane season
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 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | August 18, 1984 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | December 24, 1984 |
| Strongest storm: | Diana - 949 mbar (28.02 inHg), 135 mph (215 km/h) |
| Total storms: | 13 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 1 |
| Total damage: | $66 million (1984 USD) $122 million (2005 USD) |
| Total fatalities: | 35 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 |
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The 1984 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1984, and lasted until November 30, 1984. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The 1984 was an active season in terms of named storms, but most of them were weak and stayed at sea.
The most damaging storm was Hurricane Diana, which caused $65.5 million (1984 dollars) in damage in North Carolina. Diana was the first hurricane to strike a nuclear power plant, but no damage was reported; it was also the first major hurricane to strike the U.S. East Coast in nearly 20 years. Also of note was Hurricane Lili, which lasted well after the official end of the season. It was downgraded from a named storm on December 24.
[edit] Storms
[edit] Subtropical Storm One
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| One satellite picture and track map | |
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A weak front generated a low pressure system that organized into a subtropical depression north of Bermuda on August 18. The depression headed northeast and strengthened to a subtropical storm. It is believed to have merged with a front on August 21. The history of Subtropical Storm One is not entirely certain, as satellite images were largely unavailable due to a failure of the VISSR unit on GOES EAST (then GOES-5).
[edit] Tropical Storm Arthur
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| Arthur satellite picture and track map | |
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The 1984 season started late, with its first named storm forming on August 28. Arthur formed east of the Windward Islands and tracked generally northwest. It was downgraded to a depression on September 1, and dissipated several days later. Arthur was a minimal tropical storm, and caused no significant weather on land.
[edit] Tropical Storm Bertha
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| Bertha satellite picture and track map | |
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Bertha was a short-lived tropical storm that formed in the mid-Atlantic on August 31. The storm took a clockwise curving path before merging with a cold front on September 4. Bertha never approached land and caused no reported damage.
[edit] Tropical Storm Cesar
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| Cesar satellite picture and track map | |
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A second storm formed on August 31 as a non-tropical low strengthened into Tropical Storm Cesar off the East Coast of the United States. Cesar travelled northeast and strengthened gradually until it became extratropical and merged with another system off the coast of Newfoundland on September 2.
[edit] Hurricane Diana
- Main article: Hurricane Diana (1984)
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| Diana satellite picture and track map | |
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On September 8, a non-tropical low organized into Tropical Storm Diana north of the Bahamas. Diana proved difficult for meteorologists to forecast, initially moving westward towards Cape Canaveral, but then turned to the north and paralleled the coastline. On September 11, the storm reached hurricane strength, and continued to intensify to a Category 4 hurricane. Diana moved north-northeast, and performed a small anti-cyclonic loop before striking near Cape Fear as a minimal Category 2 hurricane on the 13th. A weakened Tropical Storm Diana curved back out to sea and headed northeast until it became extratropical near Newfoundland on September 16.
Damage estimates were set at $65.5 million dollars. Three indirect deaths were associated with Diana. Diana was the first hurricane to strike a nuclear power plant — the Carolina Power and Light Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant recorded sustained hurricane force winds, but there was no damage to the facility.
[edit] Tropical Storm Edouard
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| Edouard satellite picture and track map | |
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The origins of Tropical Storm Edouard are unclear, but an area of persistent organized storms formed in the Bay of Campeche, which strengthened into a tropical storm on September 14. Edouard rapidly intensified, with wind speeds reaching 65 mph (100 km/h) in 18 hours. Following its strengthening, Edouard dissipated even more quickly, degenerating into an area of thunderstorms the next day. The remnants of Edouard moved over land near the port of Veracruz.
[edit] Tropical Storm Fran
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| Fran satellite picture and track map | |
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Fran formed near Cape Verde on September 15, and travelled generally west-northwest. It dissipated on September 20. No damage was reported, although weather stations in Cape Verde reported winds just under tropical storm force. 31 people were reported dead on the islands.[1]
[edit] Tropical Storm Gustav
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| Gustav satellite picture and track map | |
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Gustav spent most of its life as a well-organized tropical depression, which formed on September 16 in the open Atlantic south of Bermuda. The depression moved north, and its motion stalled over Bermuda on the 17th. A day later, the depression had strengthened to a tropical storm and was named Gustav. Tropical Storm Gustav headed northeast until it was absorbed by a front on September 19.
[edit] Hurricane Hortense
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| Hortense satellite picture and track map | |
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On September 23, a subtropical storm formed southeast of Bermuda. The storm acquired tropical characteristics and was named Hortense the next day. Hortense followed a winding path for the next several days, and briefly became a hurricane. On September 30, the center of the tropical storm passed near Bermuda. The storm merged with an extratropical low on October 2. The extratropical low that merged with Hortense later caused severe damage and six deaths in France and Spain. [2]
[edit] Tropical Storm Isidore
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| Isidore satellite picture and track map | |
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A tropical depression formed on September 25 off the southeastern Bahamas. The depression headed west, and was upgraded to a tropical storm in the central Bahamas on the 26th. It struck the US coast near Jupiter, Florida. Retaining tropical storm strength, Isidore curved to the northeast, emerging over water near Jacksonville, Florida. Isidore continued northeast until it was absorbed by a front on October 1.
Storm damages in the US were estimated at $750,000 dollars (1984 US dollars). One death from electrocution was reported.
[edit] Hurricane Josephine
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| Josephine satellite picture and track map | |
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Josephine became a named storm on October 8 while northeast of Puerto Rico. It briefly moved west then turned almost due north. While it stayed well away from the U.S. coast, Josephine was a large storm and sustained tropical storm winds were measured at the Diamond Shoals of Cape Hatteras. When it passed 36°N latitude (roughly level with Norfolk, Virginia, Josephine curved to the southeast, then back to the northeast. It continued on this path until it made a cyclonic loop beginning on October 17 while becoming extratropical. The storm lost its identity on the 21st.
The hurricane caused wave damage to coastal areas, but primarily posed a threat to the shipping lanes of the North Atlantic.
[edit] Hurricane Klaus
- Main article: Hurricane Klaus (1984)
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| Klaus satellite picture and track map | |
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Klaus formed as a tropical depression in the central Caribbean Sea on November 6. The depression moved north over Puerto Rico later that day as it reached tropical storm strength. On the 7th, Klaus reached hurricane strength. The hurricane headed generally northeast until it began losing its tropical characteristics on November 12.
Damage from the storm totaled to $152 million (1984 USD), and the hurricane killed two on Dominica.
[edit] Hurricane Lili
- Main article: Hurricane Lili (1984)
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| Lili satellite picture and track map | |
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A rare December hurricane, Lili began as a subtropical storm in the central North Atlantic on December 12. The storm looped over open water for more than a week before acquiring tropical characteristics and being classified as a hurricane. At this point, Hurricane Lili was headed southwest toward the Caribbean. It continued on this path but weakened to a tropical depression as it approached Hispaniola. By the time of landfall in Haiti on December 24, it had degenerated to an area of thunderstorms.
[edit] Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Rating
| ACE (104kt2) – Storm: Source | |||||
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| 1 | 19.5 | Josephine | 8 | 1.54 | Cesar |
| 2 | 15.2 | Diana | 9 | 1.30 | Arthur |
| 3 | 11.5 | Klaus | 10 | 0.788 | Edouard |
| 4 | 6.92 | Hortense | 11 | 0.608 | Gustav |
| 5 | 6.20 | Lili | 12 | 0.490 | Bertha |
| 6 | 3.62 | Isidore | 13 | 0.000 | Subtrop |
| 7 | 3.27 | Fran | |||
| Total= 70.9375 (71) | |||||
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.
[edit] 1984 storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1984. No names were retired, so it was used again in the 1990 season. This is the first time these names were used since the post-1978 name changes. 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 did not retire any names used in the 1984 season.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Monthly Weather Review
- Detailed information on all storms from 1984
- U.S. Rainfall information for tropical cyclones from 1984
