1993 Atlantic hurricane season
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The 1993 Atlantic hurricane season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It officially started June 1, 1993, and lasted until November 30, 1993.
The season experienced slightly below average activity, with eight named storms, four becoming hurricanes. Tropical Storm Bret caused 173 deaths when it tracked across northern Venezuela in early August. Hurricane Gert caused significant damage to Mexico after tracking across Central America, killing 76.
| Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Wind speed | Storm surge | ||
| mph (km/h) | ft (m) | |||
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| 5 | >156 (>250) | >18 (>5.5) | ||
| 4 | 131–155 (210–249) | 13–18 (4.0–5.5) | ||
| 3 | 111–130 (178–209) | 9–12 (2.7–3.7) | ||
| 2 | 96–110 (154–177) | 6–8 (1.8–2.4) | ||
| 1 | 74–95 (119–153) | 4–5 (1.2–1.5) | ||
| | ||||
| Tropical storm | 35–73 (56–117) | 0–3 (0–0.9) | ||
| (edit) (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Template:Saffir-Simpson-US&action=edit) | ||||
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Storms
Tropical Depression One
This system formed just west of the Isle of Youth on May 31, then travelled across Cuba and the Bahamas before becoming extratropical southwest of Bermuda on June 2. Seven people were reported dead in Cuba from heavy rains associated with the tropical depression.
Tropical Storm Arlene
Arlene formed as a tropical depression in the eastern Bay of Campeche on June 18. The system moved northwest and reached tropical storm strength on the 19th. Landfall occurred on June 20 on Padre Island, and the system dissipated the next day. Six people were reported killed from flooding generated by Arlene, and there was $55 million (1993 dollars) in reported property damage.
Tropical Storm Bret
Bret formed along 10° N about 1000 n mi west of Cape Verde on August 4. It would stay near this latitude for most of its life. The storm tracked westward over Trinidad and a small portion of the Venezuelan coast on the 7th, and then back over the Caribbean Sea. The next day, Bret again crossed into Venezuela, and travelled into Colombia.
As it crossed the northern departments of Colombia, it crossed Pico Cristóbal Colón (18947 ft / 5775 m), the highest point in Colombia. This caused a major disruption to Bret's circulation, and the storm weakened to a tropical depression as it returned to water on the 9th. Bret restrengthened and was a tropical storm at its final landfall in extreme southern Nicaragua on August 10. The remnants of Tropical Storm Bret crossed into the Pacific Ocean, where they eventually became Hurricane Greg.
Damage in Venezuela was severe, with 173 dead and an unknown number missing. Property damage was estimated at $25 million (1993 US dollars). One death was reported in Colombia, and one death in Nicaragua. A Spanish ship sank offshore of Nicaragua, killing ten. Property damage estimates for Colombia and Nicaragua are not available.
Tropical Storm Cindy
Cindy became a named storm as a tropical depression crossed Martinique on August 14. The storm travelled west-northwest until its second landfall near Barahona in the Dominican Republic on August 16. It dissipated the next day. Heavy rainfall killed two in Martinique and two in the Dominican Republic. Specific damage estimates are not available.
Tropical Storm Dennis
Dennis formed in the mid-Atlantic on August 24, travelled northwest, and then dissipated on the 28th. Tropical Storm Dennis never affected land and no damage was reported.
Hurricane Emily
Emily formed on August 25 as a tropical depression came to a standstill 900 n mi east of Florida. The storm initially moved southwest, but its track curved northward, sending it toward North Carolina. Hurricane Emily approached within 20 n mi of Hatteras Island on August 31 as a Category 3 hurricane. Hurricane Emily then turned back out to sea, and on September 6 became extratropical and dissipated.
Three drowning deaths were reported along the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia. Property damage was isolated to the barrier islands, and was estimated at $35 million (1993 dollars).
Hurricane Floyd
Floyd formed midway between Bermuda and Hispaniola on September 7. It headed north while staying well west of Bermuda, and then took a northeastward track. A poorly organized tropical storm, Floyd did not reach hurricane strength until late on the 9th while southeast of Nova Scotia.
Hurricane Floyd's motion began to become more eastward, and it started to lose its tropical characteristics. On September 10, Floyd was classified as a powerful extratropical storm. Extratropical Storm Floyd reached Brittany on the 13th as an 80 mi/h extratropical storm.
No reports of damage were received by the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane Gert
Gert formed as a tropical depression in the extreme southwest Caribbean Sea on September 14, about 90 n mi north of Panama. The depression travelled west-northwest and was upgraded to a tropical storm on the 15th, just before landfall near Bluefields, Nicaragua. Gert weakened back to a tropical depression, and travelled across Nicaragua and Honduras. The storm emerged briefly over water, and briefly regained tropical storm strength before its second landfall in Belize on September 18. Gert continued across the Yucatan Peninsula, and emerged into the Bay of Campeche later that day.
Over open water for the first time since it formed, Gert strengthened rapidly, regaining tropical storm strength on the 19th, and reaching Category 2 strength just before landfall near Tuxpan on September 20. Gert retained hurricane strength well inland, weakening after passing over the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. Now a tropical depression, Gert emerged into the Pacific on the 21st, where it was classified as Tropical Depression Fourteen-E.
Gert killed 42 people in Mexico, 21 in Honduras, eight in Nicaragua, four in El Salvador and one in Costa Rica. Property damage in Mexico was estimated at $156 million (1993 US dollars). Damage in Honduras was unofficially reported as $10 million, and in Nicaragua damage was described as "considerable".
Hurricane Harvey
The depression that would become Harvey formed on September 18 about 350 n mi south-southeast of Bermuda. It tracked northeast, and strengthened first to a tropical storm, then a hurricane. Harvey quickly weakened, and shortly after being declared extratropical on the 18th was absorbed by a front.
1993 storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1993. This is the same list used for the 1987 season. No names were retired, so it was used again in the 1999 season. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.
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Retirement
The World Meterological Organization retired no names used in the 1993 season.
See also
External link
- Detailed information on all storms from 1993 (ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/pub/storm_archives/atlantic/prelimat/atl1993/)