| tropical depression (SSHS) | |
|---|---|
| Tropical Depression Ten on September 29 | |
| Formed | September 29, 1994 |
| Dissipated | September 30, 1994 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 35 mph (55 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 1004 mbar (hPa; 29.65 inHg) |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Areas affected | Cuba, Florida |
| Part of the 1994 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Tropical Depression Ten was tenth tropical cyclone of the inactive 1994 Atlantic hurricane season. The circulation of Tropical Depression Ten originated after Tropical Depression Eight had moved over Central America and dissipated. Before it ultimately emerged into the Caribbean Sea and developed into Tropical Depression Ten. Due to its large size, the depression caused heavy rains over most of central and western Cuba, it also caused heavy rain in the Florida Keys.
Conditions initially appeared favorable for further development of the tropical depression, so it was predicted to become a tropical storm. The depression dissipated the next day because of a larger non-tropical system which was located in the southern Gulf of Mexico absorbed the depression. This non-tropical system could have possibly regenerated into a subtropical cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico before coming ashore on the Gulf Coast of the United States.
Contents |
A concentrated area of deep convection was seen on satellite images in the southwestern Caribbean on September 19. The system moved slowly northeast for several days reaching the northeastern coast of Honduras, while at the same time its deep convection persisted.[1] It was estimated that the system became Tropical Depression Eight by September 24 at 1200 UTC and the depression was located just offshore of Honduras.[2] The depression moved to the west and ultimately made landfall in southern Belize as a tropical depression on September 25. On that next day, Tropical Depression Eight had been declared dissipated over Guatemala.[1] The remnants had become an area of disturbed weather and traveled over the Yucatan Peninsula and the northwestern Caribbean over the next several days. Convection increased after the several days due to a tropical wave moving in the proximity of the area of disturbed weather. Its deep convection also became further organized as the convection increased.[3]
A circulation soon developed within the system and central pressure recordings were also lower.[3] It was estimated the area of disturbed weather had become Tropical Depression Ten on September 29 at 0600 UTC.[4] A reconnaissance aircraft did not indicate a closed circulation later that day due to the depressions close proximity to Cuba.[3] The system was relatively disorganized and since the center was not present, satellites had to estimate that located of the center of Tropical Depression Ten, some of which recorded a landfall in western Cuba near Cabo San Antonio on September 29. The tropical depression entered the Gulf of Mexico on September 30 as it turned to the northwest. On September 30 at 0600 UTC, the tropical depression attained its peak intensity, winds had reached 35 mph (56 km/h) and the minimum central pressure had dropped down to 1004 mbar. The depression was soon becoming absorbed by a larger non-tropical system in the southern Gulf of Mexico. By 1800 UTC on September 30, Tropical Depression Ten had been completely absorbed by the non-tropical system.[3]
The remnants of the depression tracked northward across the Gulf of Mexico and could have possibly regenerated into a subtropical storm. Its remnants tracked across the southeastern United States and later emerged into the Atlantic Ocean. The remnants were last identified on October 4 before the remnants became unidentifiable offshore of North Carolina.[5]
Initial predictions from the National Hurricane Center estimated that the depression would rapidly develop into a tropical storm. However, the tropical depression remained disorganized and was absorbed into the non-tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico. It was operationally unknown that the non-tropical system would become the dominant system of the southern Gulf of Mexico.[3]
The depression caused a large amount of rain to fall in Cuba and Florida. In Cuba, the city of Giron reported a 24 hours rainfall at 12 inches (300 mm).[6] There are no other reports of affects, nor any recordings of damage or fatalities. Rainfall from the tropical depression in the Florida Keys was around 5 inches (130 mm), while rain in the extreme southern Florida totaled to 3–4 inches (76–100 mm), much of the state also had at least 1 to 2 inches (25 to 51 mm) of rain. The rain from the depression remnants peaked at 11.24 inches (285 mm) in Hilton Head, South Carolina.[5]
