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Lat/Lon 1997 Tropical Systems
MONTHLY TROPICAL WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
8 AM EST SUN NOV 30 1997
FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...
...NO TROPICAL CYCLONES FORMED DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER...
...SUMMARY OF TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY DURING 1997...
TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY IN THE ATLANTIC HURRICANE BASIN WAS WELL
BELOW NORMAL DURING 1997. ONLY SEVEN TROPICAL STORMS FORMED AND
JUST THREE OF THOSE REACHED HURRICANE STRENGTH. IN CONTRAST...THE
LONG-TERM ANNUAL AVERAGES FOR TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES ARE 10
AND 6...RESPECTIVELY. THE YEARLY TOTALS ALSO REPRESENT A LARGE
DECREASE FROM THE RECORD PACE OF 1995 AND 1996...AND ARE MORE IN
LINE WITH THE NUMBERS OF SYSTEMS OBSERVED DURING THE PRECEDING FOUR
YEARS.
SEVERAL OTHER ASPECTS OF THE ACTIVITY HELP CHARACTERIZE THE 1997
SEASON. THERE WERE NO TROPICAL STORMS OR HURRICANES DURING THE MONTH
OF AUGUST FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1961. IN FACT...THERE WAS ONLY
ONE NAMED SYSTEM DURING THE AUGUST-SEPTEMBER PERIOD...AN OCCURRENCE
LAST NOTED IN 1929. ONLY ONE NAMED SYSTEM WAS OBSERVED SOUTH OF
20N LATITUDE. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE RELATIVELY SMALL ROLE
PLAYED BY TROPICAL WAVES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TROPICAL CYCLONES
THIS YEAR. THE WAVES CONTRIBUTED TO THE FORMATION OF JUST ONE
HURRICANE...ONE TROPICAL STORM...AND THIS SEASONS ONLY TROPICAL
DEPRESSION (WHICH FORMED AND DISSIPATED EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES
IN JULY). THE TROPICAL CYCLONES WERE RELATIVELY SHORT-LIVED AND
WEAK. ONLY HURRICANES DANNY AND ERIKA LASTED MORE THAN FIVE DAYS
AND ERIKA WAS THE ONLY MAJOR HURRICANE...THAT IS...THE ONLY ONE TO
REACH CATEGORY 3 ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. DANNY WAS
THE ONLY SYSTEM TO MAKE LANDFALL.
IN ADDITION TO THESE SYSTEMS...THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER HAS
CONCLUDED FROM A REANALYSIS OF DATA THAT AN EARLY SEASON CYCLONE...
ORIGINALLY CLASSIFIED AS AN EXTRATROPICAL GALE...SHOULD BE
DESIGNATED AN UNNUMBERED SUBTROPICAL STORM. IT ORIGINATED IN THE
FINAL DAYS OF MAY FROM AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE STRAITS OF
FLORIDA. THE SYSTEM GRADUALLY STRENGTHENED AND ACCELERATED TOWARD
THE NORTHEAST. IT IS NOW ESTIMATED FROM SATELLITE PICTURES TO HAVE
BECOME A SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION AND THEN A SUBTROPICAL STORM ABOUT
100-200 MILES OFF THE U.S. SOUTHEAST COAST EARLY ON 1 JUNE.
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT DATA SUGGEST THAT THE SUBTROPICAL STORM WAS
AT ITS STRONGEST ON THE EVENING OF THE 1ST WHEN THE SYSTEM WAS
CENTERED OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS. THE CYCLONE BECAME
EXTRATROPICAL ABOUT 24 HOURS LATER WHILE MOVING EASTWARD...WELL TO
THE SOUTH OF NOVA SCOTIA.
SUMMARY TABLE:
NAME CLASS DATES MAX. MIN. U.S. DIRECT
WIND PRESS. DAMAGE DEATHS
(MPH) (MB) ($MIL.)
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----- SUBTROPICAL STORM JUN 1-2 50 1003 0 0
ANA TROPICAL STORM JUN 30-JUL 4 45 1000 0 0
BILL HURRICANE JUL 11-13 75 986 0 0
CLAUDETTE TROPICAL STORM JUL 13-16 45 1003 0 0
DANNY HURRICANE JUL 16-26 80 984 100 4
ERIKA HURRICANE SEP 3-15 125 946 0 0
FABIAN TROPICAL STORM OCT 4-8 40 1004 0 0
GRACE TROPICAL STORM OCT 16-17 45 999 0 0
TROPICAL STORM ANA WAS THE FIRST OF FOUR NAMED SYSOF A FRONTAL SYSTEM AND
BECAME A HURRICANE ON THE 12TH...JUST BEFORE BECOMING ABSORBED BY
THE FRONT SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES SOUTH OF NEWFOUNDLAND.
THE FRONTAL SYSTEM THAT SWEPT HURRICANE BILL TO THE NORTHEAST WAS
ALSO THE INITIATING DISTURBANCE FOR TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE. LIKE
ANA AND BILL...CLAUDETTE ALSO CAME TO LIFE OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN
ATLANTIC. IT TRANSFORMED FROM A FRONTAL LOW INTO A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION ON 13 JULY AND REACHED TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH LATE THAT
DAY. THE FIRST USE OF THE NOAA G-IV JET TO OBTAIN ATMOSPHERIC
MEASUREMENTS OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE OCCURRED DURING CLAUDETTE. THE
DATA CONFIRMED THAT CLAUDETTE DEVELOPED IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF RATHER
STRONG WIND SHEAR. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS RATHER SPORADIC IN
THIS ENVIRONMENT AND MAXIMUM WINDS NEVER EXCEEDED ABOUT 45 MPH. ON
THE 16TH...THE SYSTEM DEGENERATED INTO AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM.
DANNY FORMED FROM A WEAK LOW PRESSURE AREA OF NON-TROPICAL ORIGIN
OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. IT BECAME A SLOW-MOVING HURRICANE
THAT MADE LANDFALL WITH CATEGORY ONE INTENSITY NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER ON 18 JULY AND JUST SOUTHEAST OF MOBILE ON THE
19TH. DANNY DROPPED ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF RAIN...TO NEARLY 40
INCHES... OVER EXTREME SOUTHERN ALABAMA. AFTER CROSSING THE COAST
AND WEAKENING BELOW STORM STRENGTH...THE CYCLONE MOVED OVER THE
SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES FOR FOUR DAYS AS A WEAK...YET WELL
DEFINED ON SATELLITE IMAGES...DEPRESSION. HEAVY RAINS ALONG ITS
PATH PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT INLAND FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH
CAROLINA AND NORTH CAROLINA. WHEN THE CYCLONE NEARED THE VIRGINIA
COAST...IT BEGAN INTENSIFYING AND WAS ONCE AGAIN A TROPICAL STORM
WHEN IT EMERGED FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST. DANNY THEN TURNED
TOWARD SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND AND THE CENTER PASSED WITHIN 30
MILES OF NANTUCKET ISLAND ON 24 JULY. TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS
OCCURRED OVER THAT ISLAND AND THE CAPE COD AREA. THE STORM THEN
TURNED AWAY FROM LAND AND EVENTUALLY MERGED WITH A FRONT OVER THE
NORTH ATLANTIC ON THE 26TH. FOUR DEATHS ARE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO
DANNY...ONE OFFSHORE ALABAMA...ONE RELATED TO A TORNADO IN SOUTH
CAROLINA...AND TWO IN FLOODING IN CHARLOTTE...NORTH CAROLINA. MOST
OF THE $100 MILLION IN DAMAGE RESULTING FROM DANNY OCCURRED IN
ALABAMA.
ERIKA FORMED FROM A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE CENTRAL TROPICAL ATLANTIC
OCEAN ON 3 SEPTEMBER. THE CYCLONE GRADUALLY INTENSIFIED WHILE
MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWEST. IT REACHED HURRICANE
STRENGTH AND BECAME AN INCREASED THREAT TO THE NORTHEASTERN LEEWARD
ISLANDS ON THE 5TH...BUT THEN TURNED TOWARD THE NORTH AND THE
STRONGEST PART OF ITS CIRCULATION PASSED JUST TO THE NORTHEAST OF
THOSE ISLANDS. ERIKA WAS BY FAR THE STRONGEST TROPICAL CYCLONE OF
THE YEAR IN THE ATLANTIC WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 125 MPH ESTIMATED ON
THE 8TH AND 9TH...WHEN THE HURRICANE WAS CENTERED SEVERAL HUNDRED
MILES TO THE SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA. OVER THE FOLLOWING FEW
DAYS...THE TRACK OF ERIKA BECAME EASTWARD AND THE SYSTEM WEAKENED.
IT STILL BROUGHT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...HOWEVER...WITH
HURRICANE FORCE GUSTS...TO SOME OF THE AZORES ISLANDS ON 15
SEPTEMBER. ERIKA THEN BECAME EXTRATROPICAL AND MOVED TOWARD THE
NORTHEAST.
THE LAST TWO TROPICAL CYCLONES OF THE YEAR...FABIAN AND GRACE...
OCCURRED IN OCTOBER. BOTH FORMED OVER THE SOUTHWEST ATLANTIC...
MOVED TOWARD THE EAST TO NORTHEAST...REACHED TROPICAL STORM
STRENGTH...AND WERE SHORT-LIVED. FABIAN ORIGINATED FROM A TROPICAL
WAVE THAT PRODUCED ABOUT 5 INCHES OF RAIN OVER PORTIONS OF THE
LESSER ANTILLES ON 29 SEPTEMBER. THE ASSOCIATED AREA OF LOW-
PRESSURE THEN TURNED TOWARD THE NORTH AND BECAME ORGANIZED INTO A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES TO THE NORTH OF PUERTO
RICO ON THE 4TH. THE CYCLONE BECAME A WEAK TROPICAL STORM A DAY
LATER BUT THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS FLEETING AND FABIAN LOST ITS
TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS ON THE 8TH.
GRACE FORMED FROM ONE OF SEVERAL LOW LEVEL CYCLONIC CIRCULATIONS
THAT SPUN UP ALONG A FRONTAL TROUGH EXTENDING EAST-NORTHEASTWARD
FROM THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA TO THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC OCEAN. THE
TROUGH BROUGHT UNSETTLED WEATHER TO THE AREA FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND...
ON 15 OCTOBER...GALE FORCE WINDS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW THAT WAS
THEN LOCATED JUST NORTH OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. THAT LOW BECAME
TROPICAL STORM GRACE THE FOLLOWING DAY...WHEN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
DEVELOPED NEAR THE CIRCULATION CENTER. GRACE NEVER COMPLETELY
BECAME INDEPENDENT OF THE FRONTAL CIRCULATION AND...EARLY ON THE
17TH...ITS THUNDERSTORMS RAPIDLY DISSIPATED AND THE SYSTEM RETURNED
TO EXTRATROPICAL STATUS.
AVILA...LAWRENCE...MAYFIELD...PASCH...RAPPAPORT
Date: 30 JUN-04 JUL 1997
Tropical Storm ANA
ADV LAT LON TIME WIND PR STAT
1 31.80 -75.90 06/30/21Z 30 1012 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
2 31.70 -76.00 07/01/03Z 30 1008 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
3 31.80 -75.50 07/01/09Z 30 1007 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
4 31.80 -74.20 07/01/15Z 30 1007 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
5 31.40 -73.30 07/01/21Z 40 1002 TROPICAL STORM
6 31.30 -72.10 07/02/03Z 40 1001 TROPICAL STORM
7 31.80 -71.50 07/02/09Z 40 1001 TROPICAL STORM
8 32.20 -71.10 07/02/15Z 35 1002 TROPICAL STORM
9 33.10 -70.20 07/02/21Z 35 1000 TROPICAL STORM
10 34.10 -69.50 07/03/03Z 35 1000 TROPICAL STORM
11 34.90 -68.80 07/03/09Z 35 1000 TROPICAL STORM
12 35.50 -68.40 07/03/15Z 35 1003 TROPICAL STORM
13 37.00 -66.70 07/03/21Z 30 1004 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
14 37.40 -65.60 07/04/03Z 25 1004 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
LAST
Date: 11 JAN-12 JUL 1997
Hurricane BILL
ADV LAT LON TIME WIND PR STAT
1 32.50 -68.30 01/11/16Z 40 1013 TROPICAL STORM
1A 33.00 -68.00 07/11/18Z 40 1010 TROPICAL STORM
2 33.60 -67.30 07/11/21Z 45 1007 TROPICAL STORM
2A 34.80 -66.00 07/12/00Z 45 1007 TROPICAL STORM
3 35.40 -65.00 07/12/03Z 45 1007 TROPICAL STORM
4 37.20 -62.10 07/12/09Z 45 1007 TROPICAL STORM
5 38.50 -60.20 07/12/15Z 65 987 HURRICANE-1
6 40.60 -57.00 07/12/21Z 65 987 HURRICANE-1
7 42.50 -53.90 07/13/03Z 60 987 EXTRATROPICAL
LAST
Date: 13-16 JUL 1997
Tropical Storm CLAUDETTE
ADV LAT LON TIME WIND PR STAT
1 31.70 -73.40 07/13/12Z 30 1011 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
2 31.70 -73.20 07/13/15Z 30 1008 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
3 32.20 -72.90 07/13/21Z 40 1003 TROPICAL STORM
4 32.30 -73.30 07/14/03Z 40 1003 TROPICAL STORM
5 32.80 -72.80 07/14/09Z 40 1003 TROPICAL STORM
6 33.70 -72.70 07/14/15Z 40 1005 TROPICAL STORM
7 34.50 -72.30 07/14/21Z 40 1005 TROPICAL STORM
8 35.50 -72.00 07/15/03Z 35 1005 TROPICAL STORM
9 35.80 -70.30 07/15/09Z 30 1006 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
10 36.30 -68.60 07/15/15Z 30 1009 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
11 36.50 -66.00 07/15/21Z 30 1009 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
12 36.70 -64.20 07/16/03Z 30 1009 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
13 36.40 -61.80 07/16/09Z 30 1009 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
14 36.30 -60.10 07/16/15Z 30 1009 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
15 35.60 -56.70 07/16/21Z 25 1009 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
LAST
Date: 16-20 JUL 1997
Hurricane DANNY
ADV LAT LON TIME WIND PR STAT
1 27.50 -92.50 07/16/21Z 30 1012 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
2 27.50 -92.50 07/17/03Z 30 1011 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
3 27.80 -92.30 07/17/09Z 30 1011 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
4 28.30 -91.90 07/17/15Z 45 1007 TROPICAL STORM
5 28.60 -90.90 07/17/16Z 50 1001 TROPICAL STORM
5A 28.70 -90.90 07/17/18Z 50 1002 TROPICAL STORM
6 28.50 -91.00 07/17/21Z 50 1002 TROPICAL STORM
6A 28.80 -90.20 07/18/00Z 50 997 TROPICAL STORM
7 29.10 -89.90 07/18/03Z 50 996 TROPICAL STORM
7A 29.10 -89.90 07/18/06Z 55 994 TROPICAL STORM
8 29.20 -89.90 07/18/07Z 65 992 HURRICANE-1
9 29.50 -89.80 07/18/09Z 65 989 HURRICANE-1
9A 29.60 -89.50 07/18/12Z 65 989 HURRICANE-1
10 29.70 -89.20 07/18/15Z 65 990 HURRICANE-1
10A 29.60 -89.10 07/18/18Z 65 989 HURRICANE-1
11 30.00 -88.50 07/19/00Z 65 - HURRICANE-1
11A 29.90 -88.30 07/19/00Z 65 984 HURRICANE-1
12 30.00 -88.00 07/19/03Z 65 984 HURRICANE-1
12A 30.00 -88.00 07/19/05Z 65 984 HURRICANE-1
12B 30.00 -88.00 07/19/07Z 65 987 HURRICANE-1
13 30.20 -88.00 07/19/09Z 65 986 HURRICANE-1
13A 30.30 -88.00 07/19/11Z 65 985 HURRICANE-1
13B 30.40 -87.90 07/19/13Z 65 984 HURRICANE-1
14 30.40 -87.90 07/19/15Z 70 984 HURRICANE-1
14A 30.40 -87.90 01/19/15Z 70 986 HURRICANE-1
14B 30.30 -87.80 09/20/02Z 70 986 HURRICANE-1
15 30.40 -87.80 07/19/21Z 65 987 HURRICANE-1
15A 30.30 -87.70 07/19/23Z 65 989 HURRICANE-1
15B 30.30 -87.60 07/20/01Z 65 993 HURRICANE-1
16 30.30 -87.50 07/20/03Z 60 994 TROPICAL STORM
16A 30.40 -87.40 07/20/06Z 50 998 TROPICAL STORM
17 30.50 -87.40 07/20/09Z 45 998 TROPICAL STORM
17A 30.70 -87.40 07/20/12Z 40 999 TROPICAL STORM
18 30.80 -87.50 07/20/15Z 30 1001 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
LAST
REGENERATION
28 36.80 -75.40 07/24/21Z 45 1000 TROPICAL STORM
29 38.00 -72.10 07/25/03Z 50 998 TROPICAL STORM
30 39.20 -70.20 07/25/09Z 45 1002 TROPICAL STORM
31 40.20 -70.20 07/25/12Z 50 995 TROPICAL STORM
32 40.30 -70.20 07/25/15Z 50 994 TROPICAL STORM
32A 40.70 -69.90 07/25/18Z 50 994 TROPICAL STORM
33 41.20 -69.60 07/25/21Z 50 994 TROPICAL STORM
33A 40.60 -69.80 07/26/00Z 50 994 TROPICAL STORM
34 40.50 -68.60 07/26/03Z 50 994 TROPICAL STORM
34A 40.30 -67.80 07/26/06Z 50 994 TROPICAL STORM
35 40.50 -67.00 07/26/09Z 40 998 TROPICAL STORM
EXTRATROPICAL
Date: 17-19 JUL 1997
Tropical Depression FIVE
ADV LAT LON TIME WIND PR STAT
1 12.40 -53.40 07/17/15Z 30 1008 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
2 12.80 -54.90 07/17/21Z 30 1008 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
3 13.70 -55.90 07/18/03Z 30 1011 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
4 13.70 -56.90 07/18/09Z 30 1011 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
5 14.70 -58.50 07/18/15Z 30 1013 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
7 14.50 -60.70 07/19/03Z 25 1013 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
8 14.60 -61.50 07/19/09Z 25 1013 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
LAST
Date: 07-08 OCT 1997
Tropical Storm FABIAN
ADV LAT LON TIME WIND PR STAT
1 29.70 -56.00 10/07/15Z 30 1007 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
2 29.00 -55.50 10/07/21Z 30 1006 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
3 28.70 -54.40 10/08/03Z 30 1006 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
4 28.30 -52.60 10/08/09Z 30 1006 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
5 28.80 -50.70 10/08/15Z 40 1003 TROPICAL STORM
6 29.60 -47.50 10/08/21Z 35 1003 TROPICAL STORM
+12 31.00 -43.40 10/09/06Z 35 - TROPICAL STORM
+24 34.50 -38.20 10/09/18Z 35 - TROPICAL STORM
+36 39.20 -32.30 10/10/06Z 35 - TROPICAL STORM
Date: 16-17 OCT 1997
Tropical Storm GRACE
ADV LAT LON TIME WIND PR STAT
1 22.60 -57.50 10/16/15Z 40 999 TROPICAL STORM
2 23.80 -54.90 10/16/21Z 40 999 TROPICAL STORM
3 24.50 -52.00 10/17/03Z 40 999 TROPICAL STORM
4 24.80 -48.60 10/17/09Z 40 999 TROPICAL STORM
5 24.60 -45.90 10/17/15Z 30 1001 TROPICAL DEPRESSION
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