Hurricane Gordon (1994)
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| Category 1 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Hurricane Gordon near peak intensity. |
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| Formed | November 9, 1994 | |
| Dissipated | November 21, 1994 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 980 mbar (hPa; 28.95 inHg) | |
| Fatalities | 1,145 direct | |
| Damage | $400 million (1994 USD) $544 million (2006 USD) |
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| Areas affected |
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina | |
| Part of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Hurricane Gordon was the seventh named tropical storm and third hurricane of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season. An erratic, long-lived system which remained a tropical storm for most of its existence, it followed a winding path through the western Caribbean and into Florida before strengthening into a Category 1 hurricane and threatening North Carolina. Gordon was a catastrophic storm in Haiti, killing an estimated 1,122 people.
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[edit] Storm history
Gordon became a named storm just off the Nicaraguan coast on November 10 after hugging the coast of Nicaragua as a tropical depression. Tropical Storm Gordon headed generally north, then turned east and passed along the southeastern coast of Jamaica on November 13. As Gordon was near Guantánamo, Cuba on the 13th, the center became disorganized and difficult to locate. The cloud pattern and surface wind field of Gordon resembled that of a subtropical cyclone on November 14 as Gordon crossed Cuba. After passing over Cuba, a disorganized Gordon turned west-northwest, parallel to Cuba's northern coast.
As Gordon approached the Florida Keys, it reorganized. After passing over Key West on November 15, Gordon turned back to the northeast, and struck mainland Florida near Fort Myers the next day. The storm continued across the peninsula and into the Atlantic. Still heading northeast, Gordon strengthened into a hurricane, where it was forecast to go out to sea. Unexpectedly, it performed a cyclonic loop and turned towards the Outer Banks, within about 80 nm. As it exited that loop, Gordon began weakening rapidly, and was a tropical depression on November 20. The depression continued westward and made landfall one final time near Cape Canaveral, Florida on the 20th. Gordon turned northward and dissipated over South Carolina on November 21.[1]
[edit] Impact
Although Gordon was a tropical storm for most of its existence, it caused enormous damage and loss of life. The United Nations estimated death toll in Haiti was 1,122. Six deaths were reported in Costa Rica, five in the Dominican Republic, two in Jamaica, two in Cuba, and eight in Florida. Property damage to the United States was estimated at $400 million (1994 dollars). Property damage statistics for the other affected areas are not available, but were reportedly severe in both Haiti and Cuba.
[edit] Haitian catastrophe
Haiti unfortunately suffers large death tolls from many hurricanes, and was particularly devastated by Hurricane Gordon. Hurricane Gordon killed 1,122 in the impoverished nation in 1994. It has been argued that the damage caused by Hurricane Gordon, among other storms, are in part human-caused disasters. Massive deforestation has left Haiti with about 1.4% of its forests as of 2004, leaving denuded mountain slopes that rainwater washes down unimpeded. The lack of tree cover contributed to the devastating floods that caused a majority of the deaths resulting from Hurricane Gordon.[2]
[edit] Lack of Retirement
Despite the devastation in Haiti and the extensive damage in Cuba and Florida, Gordon was not retired in 1994. The World Meteorological Organization issued an official statement crediting Jamaica and Cuba's warning infrastructure for the low loss of life there, and blaming Haiti's lack of such a system for the large number of deaths there.[3]
The name Gordon was used for the first time in 1994 (replacing 1988's Gilbert), and was used again in the 2000 season and 2006 season.
[edit] References
- ^ Pasch, Richard J. (10 January 1995). Hurricane Gordon Preliminary Report. NHC. Retrieved on November 8, 2006.
- ^ Masters, Jeff. Hurricanes and Haiti: A Tragic History. The Weather Underground. Retrieved on November 8, 2006.
- ^ Early Warning Saves Grief And Money. World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved on November 8, 2006.
[edit] See also
- List of notable tropical cyclones
- List of notable Atlantic hurricanes
- Geography of Haiti
- Economy of Haiti
[edit] External links
- NHC Tropical Cyclone Report on Hurricane Gordon
- HPC Report on Gordon's Rainfall
- Hurricane Gordon 1994
- NOAA: The Retirement of Hurricane Names
- Weather Underground: Haiti's Hurricane History
- Early Warning Saves Grief and Money
