Hurricane Hortense
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| Category 4 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Hurricane Hortense near peak intensity |
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| Formed | September 3, 1996 | |
| Dissipated | September 16, 1996 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 935 mbar (hPa) | |
| Damage | $158+ million (1996 USD) $192+ million (2005 USD) |
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| Fatalities | 39 direct [1] | |
| Areas affected |
Guadeloupe, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland | |
| Part of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season |
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Hurricane Hortense was the eighth tropical storm, sixth hurricane, and second Category 4 hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season. Lasting from September 3 to September 16, Hortense brought torrential flooding as it moved through the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic. Hitting only one year after Hurricanes Luis and Marilyn and weeks after Hurricane Bertha, it caused 39 deaths and $158 million (1996 US dollars) in damage.
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[edit] Storm history
A strong low-pressure system exited the coast of Senegal on August 30 and moved westward. A well-defined low-level circulation quickly formed, but convection remained minimal due to strong upper level shear. The shear abated enough to allow shower activity to refire, and the system became Tropical Depression Eight on September 3. As it moved westward under the influence of a high pressure system, convection around the depression remained minimal due to persistent shear. As the depression approached the Lesser Antilles, upper level shear rapidly lessened, and it was able to organize into Tropical Storm Hortense on the 7th.
Hortense moved slowly through the Leeward Islands late on September 7 into the 8th, and despite initial forecasts of quick strengthening to hurricane status, Hortense encountered shear from a fast moving upper-level short trough. Shear quickly abated, and Hortense was able to reach hurricane strength on the 9th while in the northeast Caribbean Sea. The large hurricane turned to the northwest, and passed over southwestern Puerto Rico near Guánica. After two hours over land, it entered the Mona Passage, and paralleled the northeast coast of Dominican Republic as an 80 mph (130 km/h) hurricane.
Hurricane Hortense moved northwestward over the Atlantic Ocean, passing north of the Turks and Caicos Islands, where hurricane conditions were reported. Conditions became ideal for development, and the hurricane rapidly intensified to a 140 mph (220 km/h) Category 4 hurricane on September 13. A developing trough brought Hortense quickly to the northeast, producing shear that rapidly weakened the hurricane. As a Category 1 hurricane on the 15th, Hortense crossed over the southern Nova Scotian coastline, and turned eastward. Later that day the storm became extratropical while south of Newfoundland, and dissipated on September 16 over the open North Atlantic.
[edit] Impact
| Region | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | 18 |
| Dominican Republic | 3 |
| Total | 21[2] |
Hortense was a large and wet hurricane, producing about 10 inches (250 mm) of rain in Guadeloupe. No other reported damage occurred in the Lesser Antilles. [1]
Puerto Rico received the worst of the storm, with over 24 inches (600 mm) of rain occurring in the eastern mountainous region of the island. The extreme flooding led to numerous mudslides, overflowing many rivers and damaging 11,463 houses. [1] Around 1,400,000 people in Puerto Rico, about 40% of its population, lost power during and after the storm, straining the cleanup effort in the following days and weeks with lack of air conditioning and spoiled food. [2] Much of eastern Puerto Rico was declared a federal disaster in the period after the storm. In all, Hortense was responsible for 18 deaths, and $155 million in damage, 80% of it from coffee and banana crop damage.
Heavy damage was also experienced in Dominican Republic, where nearly 20 inches (510 mm) of rain occurred. One school and one church were destroyed by strong winds, with significant property damage in the northeast part of the country. A nine-foot storm surge combined with the rainfall caused 3 deaths (with 21 missing) and significant crop damage.
The Bahamas, threatened by their second major hurricane in two weeks, fared well from the storm, with little damage and no casualties.[2]
In Nova Scotia, Hortense dropped heavy rainfall and caused strong winds, causing power outages, uprooted trees, and moderate structural damage amounting to $3 million (1996 USD).[3]
[edit] Retirement
- See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes
The name Hortense was retired in the spring of 1997 and will never again be used for an Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced with Hanna in the 2002 season.
