1970 Atlantic hurricane season
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 Season summary map |
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| First storm formed: | May 17, 1970 |
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| Last storm dissipated: | October 28, 1970 |
| Strongest storm: | Celia - 945 mbar (hPa), 125 mph (205 km/h) |
| Total storms: | 10 |
| Major storms (Cat. 3+): | 2 |
| Total damage: | $450 million (1970 USD) $2.27 billion (2005 USD) |
| Total fatalities: | 17 |
| Atlantic hurricane seasons 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 |
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The 1970 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1970, and lasted until November 30, 1970. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season was fairly average, with 10 total storms forming, of which 5 were hurricanes.
Notable storms of 1970 include Hurricane Celia, which killed 20 and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage as it passed over Cuba and into Corpus Christi, Texas; and Tropical Storm Dorothy, which killed 51, most in Martinique.
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[edit] Storms
[edit] Hurricane Alma
An area of disturbed weather persisted over the southwestern Caribbean Sea in the middle of May. It gradually organized, and a tropical depression formed on May 17. In response to low shear aloft and warm water temperatures, the depression rapidly strengthened on the 20th, becoming a storm early in the day and a hurricane by night. This didn't last, and Alma weakened to a storm on the 21st and a depression the following day, mostly due to upper-level shear. The depression continued its general northward movement, with a brief jog to the west, and hit Cuba on the 24th as a 30 mph tropical depression. As Alma crossed the eastern Gulf of Mexico, it retained a very well defined circulation with an eye appearing on radar, but shear limited convection and strength. Alma crossed the Florida coast on the 25th, and became extratropical 2 days later over North Carolina.
Alma was one of only three May hurricanes during the 20th century in the Atlantic basin.
[edit] Tropical Storm Becky
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| Becky satellite image and storm path | |
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A rain system from the Intertropical Convergence Zone near Panama joined a low-level vortex over the northwest Caribbean, becoming a tropical depression on July 19. The next day it organized over the Yucatan Channel and became Tropical Storm Becky. Becky reached a peak of 65 mph winds over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but upper level winds weakened it to a tropical depression prior its Florida Panhandle landfall on the 22nd. The storm weakened further over land, and dissipated over western Kentucky on the 23rd.
[edit] Hurricane Celia
- Main article: Hurricane Celia
Hurricane Celia developed from a tropical wave moving through the Caribbean, becoming a tropical depression on July 31 and a tropical storm on August 1. In the Gulf of Mexico, it rapidly became a major hurricane, but weakened steadily to an 85 mph hurricane. On the 3rd, it again rapidly strengthened to a major hurricane, this time reaching 130 mph winds prior to its Texas landfall. Celia killed 20 due to extreme gusts, and caused hundreds of millions in damage.
[edit] Tropical Storm Four
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| Four satellite image and storm path | |
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A tropical depression formed in the western Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas on August 15. It moved northwestward for a day, followed by a northeast motion for another day, but it remained weak. On the 18th, in combination with baroclinic processes, the depression strengthened rapidly to a 70 mph tropical storm prior to becoming extratropical on the 19th south of Newfoundland.
[edit] Tropical Storm Dorothy
A tropical wave led to a tropical depression beginning 500 miles east of the Lesser Antilles on August 17. As it moved west-northwestward, it slowly strengthened, reaching tropical storm strength on the 19th. On the 20th, it reached its peak of 70 mph while moving through the islands, but an upper-level cold-core trough destroyed Dorothy on the 23rd.
Some sources claim Dorothy killed up to 51 people while crossing Dominica and Martinique.[1]
[edit] Hurricane Ella
Hurricane Ella developed from a surface trough near Swan Island in the western Caribbean on September 8. It moved northwestward without strengthening, but on the 10th, as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico, it rapidly strengthened into a tropical storm, and a hurricane 6 hours later. Hurricane Ella gradually intensified prior to landfall, reaching 130 mph winds on the 12th just before hitting the La Pesca/Soto la Marina area of Mexico. Ella rapidly dissipated over land.
[edit] Tropical Storm Felice
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| Felice satellite image and storm path | |
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An upper level trough led to the formation of a tropical depression on September 12 over the southern Bahamas. Land interaction limited strength initially, but as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico, it was able to strengthen to a 70 mph tropical storm. Shortly after its peak Felice moved inland near High Island, Texas on the 16th, and dissipated the next day over northeastern Texas.
[edit] Tropical Storm Greta
Tropical Storm Greta began quickly, forming as a tropical storm from a tropical wave over the Bahamas on September 26. Greta did not develop any further, and soon became disorganized, weakening to a tropical depression the next day as it crossed the Florida Keys. The depression moved across the Gulf of Mexico without strengthening, and eventually hit the coast of Tampico, Mexico on the 4th, where it dissipated shortly thereafter.
[edit] Hurricane Nine
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| Nine satellite image and storm path | |
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An elongated cold-core circulation north of Puerto Rico organized enough to be called a subtropical depression on October 12. The next day it reached storm intensity, and after a drift to the west, reached hurricane intensity on the 16th. On the 16th it passed by Bermuda, but damage was minimal. Baroclinic processes let the storm reach a peak of 100 mph winds before becoming extratropical on the 17th.
[edit] Hurricane Ten
A subtropical depression formed west of the Azores from an area of non-tropical origin on October 20. It strengthened to a tropical storm the next day. It slowly moved eastward, gaining strength but losing size. When it became a hurricane on the 27th, its hurricane-force winds were only 5 miles wide and its tropical storm force winds were only 60 miles wide. This compact cyclone became extratropical on the 28th after passing safely by the Azores.
[edit] 1970 storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1970. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.
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[edit] Retirement
- See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes
The name Celia was later retired and replaced by Carmen in the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season.[citation needed]
