The '1995 Atlantic hurricane season' officially began on
June 1,
1995, and lasted until
November 30,
1995. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most
tropical cyclones form in the
Atlantic basin.
The 1995 season was extremely active, largely due to favorable conditions including a
La Niña and warm sea surface temperatures. Nineteen named storms formed during the season, making it the third most active on record behind the
2005 and
1933 seasons and tied with
1887 season. There were also eleven storms that reached hurricane strength, again the third most hurricanes in one season after the
1969 and 2005 seasons.
There were also a number of destructive hurricanes during the season, totalling to $11.5 billion (2005
US dollars) in damages and over 100 deaths.
Hurricane Erin caused substantial damage in
Florida.
Felix caused heavy beach erosion in the northeast United States, and produced strong waves that drowned eight. Hurricanes
Luis and
Marilyn caused billions of dollars in damages in the
Leeward Islands and
Bermuda.
Hurricane Opal, the strongest storm of the season, caused very heavy damage along the
U.S. Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Roxanne, a rare late-season major hurricane, caused heavy damage when it made landfall in
Quintana Roo.
Seasonal activity
A satellite image of the Atlantic Ocean on
August 24 including Humberto, Iris, Jerry, and two waves that would ultimately become Karen and
Luis
One reason for the high level of activity was a strong
La Niña pattern; in La Niña years, there are weaker upper-level westerly winds, resulting in less wind shear and a more conducive environment to tropical cyclone formation. Warmer than normal sea surface temperatures and lower sea level pressures were also highly favorable. These conditions also produced a favorable environment near the coast of the Africa, which is the area that often spawns
Cape Verde-type hurricanes; in fact, nearly all of the 1995 storms - with the exception of just two - originated from
tropical waves off the west African coastline.
There were five major hurricanes for the season, and as many as five storms existed from
August 22 to
September 1 — Humberto, Iris, Jerry, Karen, and Luis.
A total of seven storms formed in August — Felix, Gabrielle, Humberto, Iris, Jerry, Karen, and Luis — tying the 1933 record for most in the month; this record was broken in the
2004 Atlantic hurricane season when eight named storms formed during August.
This season also went down to the 'T' named storm. Since the
NHC started naming hurricanes, a season had not gotten this far in the list before, and would not again until Tropical Storm Tammy was named during the
2005 Atlantic hurricane season. The 1995 season launched the Atlantic Basin into its current period of high activity.
Storms
Hurricane Allison
Allison formed from a tropical depression that was detected southeast of
Cuba on
June 2, one of the earliest storm formations within a season on record. Continuing on its northwestern heading, Allison strengthened into a tropical storm on
June 3, bringing steady rains and gusty winds to
Cuba. Despite upper-level winds, the storm continued to strengthen and Allison became a hurricane on
June 4. Hurricane Allison then weakened to a tropical storm before landfall 23 miles east of
Carrabelle, Florida on
June 5; this made Allison the third-earliest storm to make U.S landfall. Allison moved inland and continued northeast, becoming an
extratropical storm. The storm skirted the east coast, bringing gusty winds and heavy rains, before passing
Nova Scotia as it turned northwestward and dissipating west of
Greenland.
[1]
Allison killed 3 people and caused over $2 million (1995 USD) in damage.
Tropical Storm Barry
The NHC surface analysis found a weak 1019 mbar frontal low between
Bermuda and
South Carolina.The satellite imagery also revealed that a low-level cloud system center had become better defined just to the west of a small cluster of deep convection, and it is estimated that the frontal low transformed into Tropical Depression Two near 1800 UTC
July 6. T.D. Two became a named storm on
July 7 off the coast of
South Carolina and was given the name Barry. The tropical storm then headed north, making landfall on the eastern tip of
Nova Scotia on
July 9 and was declared extratropical the next day. No damage or fatalities were reported in association with Barry.
[2]
Tropical Storm Chantal
Chantal originated from a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on
July 5. The wave developed a circulation and was declared a tropical depression on
July 12. The depression quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Chantal. Chantal threatened The Bahamas, but re-curved to the north and did not directly affect The
Bahamas. Chantal was declared extratropical on
July 20 after affected American shipping lines. No damage or fatalities were reported in association with Chantal.
[3]
Tropical Storm Dean
On
July 28, the depression that would become Tropical Storm Dean formed out of a trough in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. It moved westward, and strengthened into Tropical Storm Dean just 70 miles from the
Texas coastline on the 30th. Dean made landfall early on the 31st near
Freeport with an intensity of 45
mph and a central pressure of 999
mbar. The storm slowly weakened as it moved northwestward, dissipating on
August 2 in the center of the state. Dean dropped heavy rainfall amounting to nearly 17 inches in
Monroe City. The rainfall resulted in moderate localized damage and the evacuation of 20 families in
Chambers County, but the storm caused no injuries or deaths.
[4]
Hurricane Erin
A westward-moving
tropical wave, which at times appeared to already be a tropical cyclone, did not develop a closed circulation until
July 31, when Tropical Storm Erin formed over the
Bahamas. Erin moved to the northwest and strengthened, reaching winds of 85 mph at its first landfall near
Vero Beach, Florida on
August 1. Erin downed a number of power lines, but did not cause tremendous damage. The storm emerged over the Gulf the next day, and made landfall a second time on
August 3 at
Pensacola Beach, Florida, with winds having intensified to 100 mph.
Damage in the United States totaled over $700 million. Six drowning deaths are attributed to Erin off the coasts of Florida and the Bahamas.
[5]
Tropical Depression Six
The southern part of the tropical wave that spawned Tropical Storm Erin continued into the Caribbean Sea in late
July. By
August 4, the system had made its way into the Bay of Campeche. The system was named
Tropical Depression Six on August 5, and the system slowly moved over Mexico and dissipated on
August 6, never reaching tropical storm strength. No reports of damage or casualities have been received.
[6]
Hurricane Felix
The season continued with Cape Verde-type Hurricane Felix, which was named on
August 8. It became the first
Category 4 hurricane since
Hurricane Andrew in 1992 after reaching its peak intensity of 140
mph.
[7] Felix would later become
extratropical, and was tracked headed toward
Norway.
Although it never made landfall, Felix caused eight deaths due to drowning along the coasts of
North Carolina and
New Jersey. Felix is credited with delaying
Bermuda's 1995 independence referendum when it passed within 75 miles of the island.
[7]
Tropical Storm Gabrielle
While Felix was approaching hurricane strength, a tropical depression in the
Gulf of Mexico organized itself into Tropical Storm Gabrielle. Gabrielle strengthened rapidly, but was too close to land to reach hurricane strength. Landfall was in
Mexico, near
La Pesca,
Tamaulipas, on
August 11. No death reports were associated with Gabrielle, and damage was minimal.
[9]
Hurricane Humberto
Humberto was a
Cape Verde-type storm that formed from an
African
tropical wave on
August 22. Humberto became a strong Category 2 hurricane and briefly had a
Fujiwhara interaction with Hurricane Iris. Humberto stayed in the open ocean and was absorbed by a low pressure system on
September 1 while accelerating northward.
[10]
Hurricane Iris
Iris formed on
August 22, twelve hours after Humberto. Unlike Humberto, Iris would approach land, which meteorologists say was probably due to its
Fujiwhara interaction with Humberto. Iris weakened to tropical storm strength, and travelled up the chain of
Leeward Islands. Damage reports were sparse, but four deaths were reported on
Martinique due to mud slides.
On
August 30, Iris began its second Fujiwhara interaction, this time with Tropical Storm Karen which it absorbed on
September 3. The storm quickly became extratropical, and its motion accelerated. On
September 7, Iris reached western
Europe as an
extratropical storm with wind speeds still at 75 mph.
[11]
Tropical Storm Jerry
Tropical Storm Jerry formed just off the
Florida coast near
Andros Island on
August 23 as Tropical Depression Eleven. It made landfall later that day near
Jupiter, Florida, with 40
mph winds shortly after reaching tropical storm status.
After drifting across the Florida peninsula, Jerry emerged over the
Gulf of Mexico, but quickly headed back inland. Jerry dissipated on
August 28.
While wind damage was relatively mild and the storm was poorly organized, Jerry caused extensive flooding through Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Six deaths are attributed to flooding caused by Jerry, and the total damage cost estimate was $46.9 million (1995 USD).
[12]
Tropical Storm Karen
A
tropical wave moved off of
Africa on
August 23 and gradually developed a broad
low pressure area. It gradually organized, and developed into twelfth tropical depression of the season on
August 26.
[13] Located in an environment of little
wind shear, the convection slowly organized,
[14] and on
August 28 it intensified into Tropical Storm Karen.
After tracking steadily west-northwestward, the wake from nearby Hurricane Humberto turned Karen northward, and shortly thereafter began to encounter wind shear from the
outflow of
Hurricane Iris. Despite this, the storm strengthened slightly to attain peak winds of 50 mph (80 km/h). Due to its
Fujiwhara effect with Iris, Karen steadily weakened while revolving around the larger circulation of Iris. On
September 2, the storm degenerated into a tropical depression, and the next day Karen was absorbed by Iris a short distance to the east of
Bermuda. Karen never effected land; the highest strike probability for the storm was for Bermuda and
Halifax, Nova Scotia, both of which were assessed to have a 2% chance of being passed by Karen within 65 miles.
Hurricane Luis
A typical
Cape Verde-type hurricane, Luis formed on
August 29, becoming the fourth concurrent named storm in the
Atlantic basin. Luis would intensify as it travelled across the Atlantic, and satellite estimates placed it at Category 4 intensity on
September 3. By
September 5, Luis had reached the
Leeward Islands, and the center passed directly over Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. From the hundreds of yachts that took shelter in the lagoon only 5% were not sunk or thrown ashore. It would eventually head north and became a strong
extratropical storm over
Newfoundland.
Luis is reported to have killed 16 in the Leeward Islands and 1 in Newfoundland. Damage was substantial, with upwards of half the structures reported damaged on many islands. Estimated damage was $2.5 billion (1995 USD).
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, en route to New York early in the morning of
September 11, encountered an 87 foot (29 m)
freak wave generated by Hurricane Luis. Damage to the ship was minor, and no passengers or crew were injured.
[15]
Tropical Depression Fourteen
Tropical Depression Fourteen developed from a distinct tropical wave which exited the coast of Africa on
September 4. The system gradually organized and became a tropical depression on
September 9. The depression moved toward the northwest and encountered strong upper-level winds which removed the convection from the low-level center on
September 13.
[16]
Hurricane Marilyn
Marilyn formed late in the UTC day on
September 13, and reached hurricane strength soon thereafter. Marilyn struck the Lesser Antilles on
September 14 at Category 1 strength, and intensified to nearly Category 3 strength by the time it reached the
U.S. Virgin Islands. A
Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance flight reported hail, which is unusual for tropical cyclones. After heading north past
Bermuda, Marilyn weakened and became
extratropical on
September 22.
Marilyn is directly responsible for eight deaths, most due to drowning on boats or offshore. Ten thousand people were left homeless on the island of
St. Thomas, and estimated damages were set at $1.5 billion (1995 USD).
[17]
Hurricane Noel
The origin of Hurricane Noel occurred on
September 26, when a tropical depression formed hundreds of miles west of the Cape Verde islands. The cyclone moved in a northward direction for its duration, becoming a tropical storm on
September 27 and reaching hurricane strength on
September 28. Noel was eventually absorbed by a cold front on
October 8 while moving eastward to the south of the Azores.
This cyclone marked the second time in the
Atlantic basin that the 'N' name was used since naming began in 1950, the previous being
Nana in the
1990 season. Since 1995, the 'N' name has been used almost every season.
[18]
Hurricane Opal
Hurricane Opal was the strongest storm of the season, and the first to receive an 'O' name since
Atlantic hurricane naming began in 1950. The
tropical wave that would become Opal emerged from the west coast of Africa on
September 11. The wave would stay disorganized, and did not begin strengthening until it neared the
Yucatán Peninsula, becoming a tropical depression on
September 27 while 80 miles south-southeast of
Cozumel. The depression slowly moved over the Yucatan for the next several days, eventually emerging over the
Bay of Campeche where it was officially upgraded to tropical storm strength. It rapidly intensified and began moving north across the Gulf of Mexico. Opal reached
Category 4 hurricane status, with sustained winds of 150 mph, but weakened to a minimal Category 3 hurricane by the time of landfall at
Pensacola Beach, Florida on
October 3.
Opal killed 59 people: 31 from flooding in Guatemala, 19 in Mexico from flooding, and 9 in the United States. The United States deaths include one in Florida by a
tornado, and the other eight from falling trees in
Alabama,
Georgia, and
North Carolina. No deaths were reported from
storm surge, which is unusual due to the storm's strength and the location of landfall. Opal caused $3 billion ($4.3 billion in 2004
USD) in damage, making it the eighteenth costliest U.S. hurricane when adjusted for inflation, as of the completion of the 2004 hurricane season.
[19],
[20]
Tropical Storm Pablo
Tropical Storm Pablo was a Cape Verde-type tropical storm which was named on
October 5 and did not affect land. Pablo moved westward across the southern Central Atlantic throughout its lifetime, dissipating on
October 8.
Pablo was the first of three storms to be assigned a name beginning with 'P' since storm naming began in the
Atlantic in 1950; the others were Peter in the
2003 season and Philippe in the
2005 season.
[21]
Hurricane Roxanne
Roxanne, the first storm to receive an 'R' name since
Atlantic hurricane naming began in 1950, formed from a tropical depression in the western Caribbean on
October 9. It was initially expected to pose a threat to
Cuba; however, it turned west and rapidly intensified to Category 3 strength. The storm made landfall just north of
Tulum, a small town on the
Quintana Roo coast across from the island of
Cozumel, with sustained winds near 115 mph. Roxanne emerged over water in the
Bay of Campeche as a minimal hurricane, and then meandered in a small area of the bay for almost a week. It eventually weakened to a depression and moved inland.
Roxanne resulted in 14 deaths, with five of them coming from the sinking of a petroleum work barge with 245 people on board. There was massive damage in Mexico across numerous states; the area had been affected by Opal a week before and all damage could not be sorted out from Opal and Roxanne. Damage was estimated at $1.5 billion (1995 USD).
[22]
Tropical Storm Sebastien
Tropical Storm Sebastien formed on
October 21 about 400 miles east of
Barbados, but weakened to a tropical depression before approaching the
U.S. Virgin Islands from the northeast. No damage was reported as a result of this system.. The remains of Sebastien caused up to four inches of rain in
Puerto Rico. Sebastien was the first storm to be assigned a name beginning with 'S' since hurricane naming began in the
Atlantic basin in 1950, and was the only one until Stan in the
2005 season.
[23]
Hurricane Tanya
The 1995 season ended with Hurricane Tanya, the first storm to be assigned a name beginning with 'T' since hurricane naming began in the
Atlantic basin in 1950. Tanya formed on
October 27 in the Central Atlantic. The cyclone initially displayed
subtropical characteristics, including comma-shaped convection and winds extending well out from the center. It became more tropical on the 29th as it formed a small eye near the center, indicating it had become a hurricane. A cold front pushed the storm northward, then northeastward. Tanya became
extratropical as it neared the
Azores on
November 2, and quickly crossed through the islands. The extratropical storm continued northeastward, eventually being absorbed by a non-tropical low pressure system on
November 3.
Tanya was the first tropical cyclone to affect the Azores since
Hurricane Charley in 1992. In the Azores, Tanya tore roofs off houses and downed trees, and light posts flew through houses and buildings. Only 1 death (by drowning) was reported, as well as several injuries.
[24] The Red Cross and the Portuguese government spent over $6 million (1995 USD) in repairs.[ARC Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal 1995] The islands of
Faial,
Pico,
Terceira and
São Jorge were hardest hit, where the storm sunk or damaged numerous boats. The storm also severely disrupted electricity and telecommunications, damaged several houses and caused moderate crop damage.
[25] [24]
Accumulated Cyclone Energy Rating (ACE)
The table below shows the ACE for each storm in the season (to three significant digits). The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so hurricanes that lasted a long time (such as Luis) have higher ACEs. Luis was one of the very few hurricanes since 1950 to have an ACE of over 50 x 10
4 kt
2.
Source of data;
Atlantic Hurricane Database with wind speed information in knots.
Storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1995. The names not retired from this list were used again in the
2001 season. This is the same list used for the
1989 season except Humberto, which replaced
Hugo. Storms were named Humberto, Luis, Marilyn, Noel, Opal, Pablo, Roxanne, Sebastien, and Tanya for the first time in 1995. Names that were not assigned are marked in (Van and Wendy were the only two in the season).
Retirement
The
World Meteorological Organization retired four names in the spring of 1996: Luis, Marilyn, Opal, and Roxanne. They were replaced in the
2001 season by Lorenzo, Michelle, Olga, and Rebekah. The 1995 season was tied with the
1955 season and
2004 season for the most storm names retired after a single season until the
2005 season, when five names were retired.
See also
★
List of notable Atlantic hurricanes
★
List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
References
1. Allison Tropical Cyclone Report
2. Barry Tropical Cyclone Report
3. Chantal Tropical Cyclone Report
4. Dean Tropical Cyclone Report
5. Erin Tropical Cyclone Report
6. Tropical Depression Six Tropical Cyclone Report
7. Felix Tropical Cyclone Report
8. Felix Tropical Cyclone Report
9. Gabrielle Tropical Cyclone Report
10. Humberto Tropical Cyclone Report
11. Iris Tropical Cyclone Report
12. Jerry Tropical Cyclone Report
13. Karen Tropical Cyclone Report
14. TROPICAL DEPRESSION TWELVE SPECIAL DISCUSSION NUMBER 6
15. Luis Tropical Cyclone Report
16. Tropical Depression Fourteen Tropical Cyclone Report
17. Marilyn Tropical Cyclone Report
18. Noel Tropical Cyclone Report
19. Opal Tropical Cyclone Report
20. National Hurricane Service URL Accessed March 21, 2006
21. Pablo Tropical Cyclone Report
22. Roxanne Tropical Cyclone Report
23. Sebastien Tropical Cyclone Report
24. Tanya data
25. Tanya Tropical Cyclone Report
26. Tanya data
External links
★
Monthly Weather Review
★
Detailed information on all storms from 1995
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