User:Storm05/Tropical Storm Keith (1988)
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Tropical Storm Keith was a the eleventh named storm and the final storm of the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season. Keith was also the fourth named storm to affect the Caribbean delivering heavy rains to the Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba. Keith was also the third late season tropical storm to affect Florida (Floyd in 1987 and Jenny in 1969 were the others).
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[edit] Storm history
A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on November 5 where it moved across the Atlantic Ocean without development untill it reached the western Caribbean on November 12 and strengthened into a tropical depression. Despite being poorly organized, the tropical depression moved westward where it aquired a closed area of circulation. On November 20, satallie and data from Hurricane Hunter planes showed that the tropical depression had strengthed and later on the 20th, the tropical depression became Tropical Storm Keith. Keith then swung to the northeast, making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula before making a second landfall in central Florida on the 21st. [1]
Keith maintained tropical storm strength as it crossed central Florida by the 23rd, after that the storm rapidly moved to the northeast where it became a powerful extratropical storm with hurricane force winds, had the storm had not lost tropical characteristics near Bermuda it would have been upgraded to Hurricane Keith. [2]
[edit] Impact
Keith produced hurricane force gusts on the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula and there was isolated reports of lightining and torrential downpours. In Florida about four to nine inches of rain fell with highest reaching eleven inches. [2] The heavy rains brought by Keith damaged much of the tobacco and vegtable crops in Mexico and Cuba, the exact damage estimates are unknown. In Florida, Keith left $3 million dollars (1988 USD) in damage from flooding and tree damage and there were isolated power outages. [2]
[edit] Lack of retirement
Because the damage was minimal the name Keith was not retired, and it was not used during the 1994 season due to tropical inactivity. It was then used in 2000 and has since been retired.
