1983 Atlantic hurricane season

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1983 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
Season summary map
First storm formed: July 29, 1983
Last storm dissipated: September 30, 1983
Strongest storm: Alicia - 963 mbar (28.44 inHg), 115 mph
Total storms: 4 
Hurricanes: 3
Major hurricanes (Cat. 3+): 1
Total fatalities: 22
Total damage: $2 billion (1983 USD)
$4.05 billion (2006 USD)
Atlantic hurricane seasons
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985

The 1983 Atlantic hurricane season was the least active Atlantic hurricane season in 53 years.[1] The 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 traveled 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.[2] Hurricane Barry was responsible for widespread damage to Mexican fishing villages near the United States-Mexico border.

Contents


[edit] Seasonal forecasts

Predictions of tropical activity in the 1983 season
Source Date Named
storms		 Hurricanes Major
hurricanes
CSU [3] July 23 8 5 Unknown
Record high activity 28 15 8
Record low activity 1 0 (tie) 0
Actual activity 4 3 1

Forecasts of hurricane activity are issued before each hurricane season by noted hurricane experts like Dr. William M. Gray, and his associates at Colorado State University. A normal season, as defined by NOAA, has 6 to 14 named storms, with 4 to 8 of those reaching hurricane strength, and 1 to 3 major hurricanes. The July 23, 1983 forecast predicted that after the slow start to the season, that a total of eight storms would form, and five of the storms would reach hurricane status. The forecast did not specify how many of the hurricanes would reach major hurricane status.[3] However, the predictions proved to be too high, with only four named storms forming by the end of the season and three of those reaching hurricane status.

[edit] Seasonal activity

The 1983 season was on the inactive side, as only seven depressions formed. The first storm, Alicia, formed on August 15.[4] Four of the depressions became storms with three of them becoming hurricanes. There was only one major hurricane this year, Hurricane Alicia, which battered the area of Houston, Texas.[4] 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. However, Barry's effects brought an end to a severe drought in Mexico.[4] 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.[4] The three other known depressions formed near the Lesser Antilles, but wind shear weakened them before they could develop.[4]

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.[4] The wind shear was unusually strong throughout the Caribbean and open Atlantic, and disrupted convection in areas of disturbed weather so they could not develop. The only 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 only two storms.[4]

[edit] Storms

[edit] Hurricane Alicia

Main article: Hurricane Alicia
Hurricane Alicia 3
Hurricane Alicia 1983.jpg Alicia 1983 track.png
Duration August 15, 1983—August 21, 1983
Intensity 115 mph (185 km/h), 962 mbar

Alicia formed in the north-central Gulf of Mexico on August 15. It traveled 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 September 21.

Rainfall from Alicia was spread in different amounts throughout nine states.[5] Louisiana reported only one inch around the southwest part of the state. Eastern Texas had rainfalls spread from one to seven inches around the state, peaking at 9.5 inches (241 mm) in Liberty.[5] As Alicia moved north, the storm spread moderate rainfall in Oklahoma and one inch rainfall in Kansas, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Rainfall also totaled around one inch (25.4 mm) on Lake Michigan, the western part of Lake Huron and the eastern section of Lake Superior.[5]

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 USD) in damage ($4.1 billion, 2006 USD).[6][7]

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.[2][5]

[edit] Hurricane Barry

Hurricane Barry 1
Hurricane Barry (1983).JPG Barry 1983 track.png
Duration August 24, 1983—August 29, 1983
Intensity 80 mph (125 km/h), 986 mbar (29.12 inHg)
Main article: Hurricane Barry (1983)

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.[8] 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 made landfall in northeastern Mexico. Barry dissipated over land at about 1200 UTC August 29.[8]

Roads with poor drainage in Key West, Florida were flooded with over 1.5 in (38.1 mm) of rain.[9]Rains around 1 inch were reported around Lake Okeechobee, 3 inches (76.2 mm) around the Orlando area and one inch in the Miami area.[10] The peak rainfall was 3.01 inches in Wachula, Florida. The only rainfall reported in Texas by Barry was 1 inch around San Antonio.[10]

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 ft (0.3–0.6 m) higher than normal waves. A storm tide of 3–4 ft (0.9–1.2 m) was recorded in Mexican fishing villages. Winds were gusting in excess of 50 mph (80 km/h) off the South Padre Island coast. Over 4,000 people were evacuated from South Padre Island in preparation of Hurricane Barry. Damage included four hundred homeless people & a major loss of shrimping nets.[8][10]

Barry also affected the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger, whose third mission was scheduled for August 30. NASA did not have time to return the shuttle to the hangar in time for Barry, and had the shuttle ride out the storm on the launch pad.[11]

[edit] Hurricane Chantal

Hurricane Chantal 1
Hurricane Chantal (1983).JPG Chantal 1983 track.png
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 kt (40 mph, 65 km/h) and was named Tropical Storm Chantal. Chantal continued to intensify and strengthened into a minimal hurricane with 75 mph (120 km/h) winds on September 11 and maintained that strength until September 13, when it weakened back into a tropical storm. Chantal travelled generally northeast over open waters, missing the island of Bermuda, before weakening and being absorbed by a frontal system on September 15. As Chantal never made landfall, no damage or fatalities were reported in association the storm.[12] However, Chantal generated swells of 30–40 ft (9–12 m) along the East Coast of the United States.[13]


[edit] Tropical Storm Dean

Tropical Storm Dean TS
Tropical Storm Dean (1983).JPG Dean 1983 track.png
Duration September 26, 1983—September 30, 1983
Intensity 55 mph (85 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.[14] Gale warnings were issued from North Carolina to New England in association with Dean, but the storm turned northwest and made landfall on the Eastern Shore of Virginia on September 30. It dissipated several hours later.[14] Dean was one of only two tropical storms ever to make landfall in Eastern Shore of Virginia, the other storm being Tropical Storm Bret of the 1981 season.[15]

Damage was limited to minor beach erosion and flooding along the portion of Mid-Atlantic coast states.[14][15]

Dean produced rainfall spreading from the North Carolina/Virginia border to New England. Virginia reported rains of 1 inch (25.4 mm) with 3 inches (76.2 mm) at the border.[15] North Carolina, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire reported 1 inch of rain from Dean.[15] New Jersey reported mainly 1 inch of rain with 3 inches in Passaic County and Long Island. Rains peaked at 4.62 inches (117 mm) at Cockaponset Ranger Station in Connecticut.[15]

[edit] Tropical depressions

Three tropical depressions also existed during the 1983 season.

Tropical Depression 1
Tropical Depression 1

Tropical Depression One formed from a tropical disturbance near the Lesser Antilles on July 29.[16] The National Hurricane Center indicated the possibility of the depression strengthening into a tropical storm in media reports but upper-level wind shear inhibited any development.[17][4] The depression dissipated the next day.[4]

An area of disturbed weather in the central Atlantic managed to gain enough organization to be designated Tropical Depression Two on July 31. The depression moved across the Atlantic without strengthening due to high upper-level wind shear, and dissipated near the Lesser Antilles on August 3.[18][19] Tropical Depression Six formed on September 19. The depression caused heavy rainfall in the Lesser Antilles[20] before degenerating into a tropical wave on September 21 near the Dominican Republic.[21] During post-season analysis, Tropical Depression Six was dropped and not included in the 1983 Monthly Weather Review.[4]

[edit] Season summary

1983 Atlantic hurricane statistics
Storm Name Active Dates Storm category

at peak intensity

 Max

Wind

(mph)

 Min.

Press.

(mbar)

 ACE Landfall(s) Damage

(millions

USD)

 Deaths
Where When Wind

(mph)
One 29 - 30 July Tropical Depression 35[17] Unknown  0[1] none 0  0 
Two 29 July - 3 August Tropical Depression 30[19] Unknown  0[1] none 0  0 
Alicia 15 - 21 August Category 3 Hurricane 115 962  6.38[1] Galveston, Texas August 17 115 4500[2]  21[2] 
Barry 24 - 29 August Category 1 Hurricane 80 986  3.14[1] Melbourne, Florida August 25 35 0  0 
Brownsville, Texas August 28 75 Minor  0 
Chantal 10 - 15 September Category 1 Hurricane 75 992  4.27[1] none 0  0 
Six1 19 - 21 September Tropical Depression 35[20] Unknown  0[1] none Minor  0 
Dean 26 - 30 September Tropical Storm 55 999  3.07[1] Eastern Shore of Virginia September 29 50 Minor  0 
Season Aggregates
7 cyclones July 29
-Sept. 30		   115 962 16.86 4 Landfalls 4500 21
  1. Tropical Depression Six was monitored operationally,[20] but was later downgraded during post-season analysis and not included in the Monthly Weather Review.[4]

[edit] Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Rating

ACE (104kt2) – Storm: [1]
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. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 35 knots (39 mph, 63 km/h) or tropical storm strength. The 1983 season had a cumulative ACE of 16.86 (17), which is well below normal and currently the least active season on record since 1914, which had an ACE rating of 2.53.

[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 the National Hurricane Center's naming policy.

  • Alicia
  • Barry
  • Chantal
  • Dean
  • Erin (unused)
  • Felix (unused)
  • Gabrielle (unused)
  • Hugo (unused)
  • Iris (unused)
  • Jerry (unused)
  • Karen (unused)
  • Luis (unused)
  • Marilyn (unused)
  • Noel (unused)
  • Opal (unused)
  • Pablo (unused)
  • Roxanne (unused)
  • Sebastien (unused)
  • Tanya (unused)
  • Van (unused)
  • Wendy (unused)

[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

Portal:Tropical cyclones
 Tropical cyclones Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i NOAA (2007). Atlantic Hurricane Database. NOAA. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d National Hurricane Center (1983). Hurricane Alicia Prelimary Report. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  3. ^ a b FIVE-HURRICANE SEASON PREDICTED NEW--THOUGH FALLIBLE--TECHNIQUE ALSO FORECASTS A BUSY 1984 PERIOD
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Robert Case and Harold Gerrish (1984). 1983 Monthly Weather Review. American Meteorological Society. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  5. ^ a b c d David Roth (2007). Tropical Cyclone Rainfall: Hurricane Alicia. Hydrometeorogical Prediction Center. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  6. ^ Daily Herald (1983-08-19). Alicia mauls Texas; 6 die. The Daily Herald. Retrieved on February 5, 2007.
  7. ^ Syracuse Herald-Journal (1983-08-19). Alicia's death toll low, damage high. The Syracuse Herald-Journal. Retrieved on February 5, 2007.
  8. ^ a b c National Hurricane Center (1983). Hurricane Barry Prelimary Report. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  9. ^ Miami Herald (1983-08-26). RAIN TRANSFORMS STREET INTO LAKE. The Miami Herald. Retrieved on February 3, 2007.
  10. ^ a b c David Roth (2007). Tropical Cyclone Rainfall: Hurricane Barry. Hydrometeorogical Prediction Center. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  11. ^ Miami Herald (1983). NASA SECURES SHUTTLE AS STORM HEADS FOR CAPE CANAVERAL. The Miami Herald. Retrieved on February 3, 2007.
  12. ^ National Hurricane Center (1983). Hurricane Chantal Prelimary Report. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  13. ^ Philadelphia Inquirer (1983-09-12). HURRICANE CHANTAL BYPASSES BERMUDA. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved on February 3, 2007.
  14. ^ a b c Miles B. Lawrence (1983-10-14). Tropical Storm Dean Prelimary Report. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  15. ^ a b c d e David Roth (2007). Tropical Cyclone Rainfall: Tropical Storm Dean. Hydrometeorogical Prediction Center. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  16. ^ Liz Balmaseda (1983-07-29). 2 DAYS OF RAIN CAUSE A DIP IN TEMPERATURES. The Miami Herald. Retrieved on February 7, 2007.
  17. ^ a b Associated Press (1983-07-29). Forecast: 90s, humid, but rest of U.S. will be hotter. The Hurricane Archive. Retrieved on February 7, 2007.
  18. ^ Liz Balmaseda (1983). DEPRESSION HAS GOOD CHANCE OF BEING FIRST TROPICAL STORM. The Miami Herald. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  19. ^ a b Miami Herald (1983). 2ND TROPICAL DEPRESSION WITHERS. The Miami Herald. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  20. ^ a b c Miami Herald (1983). NEW TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMS AIMS TOWARD WINDWARDS. The Miami Herald. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
  21. ^ Miami Herald (1983). CARIBBEAN STORM DOWNGRADED. The Miami Herald. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.

[edit] External links

Tropical cyclones of the 1983 Atlantic hurricane season
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
TD TS 1 2 3 4 5
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../1/9/8/1983_Atlantic_hurricane_season_6e8a.html"
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