The
1978 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1978, and lasted until November 30, 1978. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most
tropical cycloneA tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones feed on heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor contained in the moist air...
s form in the
Atlantic basinAtlantic Basin may refer to:* Atlantic Ocean* Atlantic Basin in Brooklyn, site of:** Brooklyn Cruise Terminal** Atlantic Basin Iron Works...
. However, the season had the earliest actual start on record due to an unusual subtropical storm in January.
Tropical Storm AmeliaTropical Storm Amelia was a weak tropical storm that brought heavy rain and damage to Texas in July of the 1978 Atlantic hurricane season. Amelia formed on July 30 after wandering around the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea for a week and a half...
, which killed 30 when it flooded the
Guadalupe RiverThe Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The river is a popular destination for rafters and canoers. Larger cities along the river include New Braunfels, Kerrville, Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, and Victoria...
in
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
, was the most notable storm of the season.
Hurricane GretaHurricane Greta-Olivia was a Category 4 hurricane that crossed over Central America, changing names upon reaching the Eastern Pacific during the 1978 Atlantic hurricane season and 1978 Pacific hurricane season. Greta threatened to reproduce the devastating effects of Hurricane Fifi just four years...
caused moderate damage in
Central AmericaManagua
Guatemala City
San Salvador
San Pedro Sula
Panama City
San José, Costa Rica
Santa Ana, El Salvador
León
San Miguel|-|}...
, avoiding fears that it would be a repeat of the devastating
Hurricane FifiHurricane Fifi was a catastrophic storm during the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season that made landfall in Belize. Fifi was one of the costliest hurricanes in history, causing $3.7 billion in damages. It was also one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes, killing as many as 10,000 people...
. A very unusual subtropical storm formed in mid-January, the only storm (tropical or subtropical) to do so in the Atlantic basin.
The 1978 season was the last hurricane season when only female names were used for hurricanes and the last season before the modern hurricane naming system was developed.
Subtropical Storm One
A meteorological oddity, the first storm of the season developed from an upper level trough on January 18 while 1,725 miles (2,800 km) east-northeast of
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
. It moved westward, intensifying to a 45 mph (75 km/h) subtropical storm over the central Atlantic Ocean. Climatology prevailed, and the storm dissipated on January 23, 230 miles (370 km) northeast of Puerto Rico.
Subtropical Storm One became the earliest recorded tropical or subtropical storm to form in the Atlantic basin, and the only one to do so at all during January, when it formed on January 18. Note that two storms on record,
Hurricane AliceHurricane Alice was a Category 1 hurricane that struck extreme northern Mexico and southern Texas in June 1954, causing at least 55 deaths. Alice is most remembered as causing the worst flooding ever seen along the Rio Grande, destroying bridges and dikes and flooding many cities along the inner...
from the
1954 seasonThe 1954 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1954, and lasted until November 15, 1954. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin, although in actuality the season continued to the end of 1954 and into 1955...
and Tropical Storm Zeta from the
2005 seasonThe 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, repeatedly shattering previous records. The impact of the season was widespread and ruinous with at least 2,280 deaths and record damages of over $128 billion USD...
have formed during December and lasted into January.
Tropical Storm Amelia
Tropical Storm Amelia formed in the western
Gulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United...
near
Brownsville, TexasBrownsville is a city in and the county seat of Cameron County, Texas, United States. Brownsville is the 15th largest city in the state of Texas and the 129th largest in the United States. The population was 139,722 at the 2000 census...
on July 30. The storm moved over land, but continued to intensify to a 50 mph tropical storm. Land then took its toll, and the storm dissipated over
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
on August 1. Flooding rains due to torrential rains were reported to have reached 48 inches led to the deaths of 30 people in Texas.
Tropical Storm Bess
Tropical Storm Bess formed in the central
Gulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United...
on August 5. Due to a strong high pressure system over
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
, the storm moved southwestward, strengthening to a 50 mph storm. The storm hit Nautla, Mexico on early August 8, and dissipated later that day.
Hurricane Cora
The tropical depression that became Hurricane Cora formed on August 7 in the tropical Atlantic. It gradually strengthened to a 90 mph Category 1 hurricane, but weakened to a tropical storm as it moved through the
Windward IslandsThe Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the West Indies blow east to west...
. The storm continued to weaken, and dissipated on August 12 near the island of
ArubaAruba is a -long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela. Together with Bonaire and Curaçao, it forms a group referred to as the ABC islands of the Leeward Antilles, the southern island chain of the Lesser Antilles.An...
.
Tropical Storm Debra
The origins of Debra were from the combination of a
lowA low pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower in relation to the surrounding area. Low pressure systems form under areas of upper level divergence on the east side of upper troughs, or due to localized heating caused by greater insolation or active thunderstorm...
that formed over southeast
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
and an area of convection near the
Yucatan PeninsulaThe Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
, possibly related to a tropical wave. A tropical depression formed on August 26 in the Gulf of Mexico, tracking west-northwestward around a high pressure ridge. Gradual intensification began, and it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Debra on August 28. The storm turned to the north, and it reached its peak intensity of 60 mph (95 km/h) on August 29, shortly before making landfall in southwestern Louisiana. It was a disorganized storm, with most of the convection located to the east of the center. It weakened rapidly and dissipated over Arkansas, though its remnants continued into the Ohio Valley.
As a result of the formation of Debra, gale warnings were issued from
Galveston, TexasGalveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a total population of 57,466 within an area of...
to
Grand Isle, LouisianaGrand Isle is a town in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, located on a barrier island of the same name. The island is at the mouth of Barataria Bay where it meets the Gulf of Mexico. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,541; during summers, the population has increased to over 20,000...
, on August 28. In addition, 3,000 people were evacuated from Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Two people died as a result of Debra; one was attributed to a tornado in
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
which also destroyed several mobile homes, and injured one person. The other was reported to have occurred on an oil rig off the Texas coast. Several other tornadoes occurred during Debra's landfall, mostly along the upper Texas coast, to the Mississippi coast, while some tornadoes did occur inland. The maximum amount of rain associated with Debra occurred at Freshwater Bayou Rock, Louisiana, where 10.81 inches (274 mm) of rain fell. Other rainfall reports of 6 inches (150 mm) or more were common throughout
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
,
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquin name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Its diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the...
,
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
, and later into
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
. Also, tides ranges from 1 to 2 feet in most areas, while up to 5.7 foot above normal tides were reported along the western Louisiana coast.
Hurricane Ella
Hurricane Ella formed from a stationary frontal zone in late August over the central Atlantic. It moved west-northwestward, passing
BermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1,770 kilometres northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1,350 kilometres south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada...
far to the south, and intensified to a major hurricane. After a brief stall on September 2, Ella accelerated to the northeast, rapidly strengthening to a 140 mph Category 4 hurricane south of
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
. Ella is the northernmost known category 4 Atlantic hurricane, keeping this intensity as far as 42°5 North. It brushed the coast of Newfoundland and dissipated out at sea.
Hurricane Flossie
Hurricane Flossie formed in the tropical Atlantic on September 4, midway between
Cape VerdeThe Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago located in the Macaronesia ecoregion of the North Atlantic Ocean, off the western coast of Africa, opposite Mauritania and Senegal....
and the
Lesser AntillesThe Lesser Antilles, also known as the Caribbees, are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Greater Antilles form the West Indies...
. The system moved to the west-northwest, reaching 45 mph winds before upper level shear ripped apart the system. After two days of moving to the northeast, the storm re-strengthened to a tropical storm, and became a hurricane on September 12, located about halfway between
BermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1,770 kilometres northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1,350 kilometres south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada...
and the Azores Islands. Cool waters eventually led the system to its extratropical transition on September 16. The strong
extratropical cycloneExtratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
brought winds as high as 104 mph to Fair Isle,
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
.
Hurricane Greta
The tropical depression that became Hurricane Greta formed 75 miles west-northwest of
TrinidadTrinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the country of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just 11 km off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of 4,768 km² it is also the fifth...
on September 13. The storm moved through the Central Caribbean, steadily strengthening. When it neared the coast of
HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras...
it rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane, bringing winds to the country. It stayed offshore, but came to shore at
Stann Creek DistrictStann Creek District is a district in the south east region of Belize. According to the 2000 census, the district had a population of 26,665 people...
,
BelizeBelize , is a country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, composed of many cultures and speaking many languages. Although Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language...
on September 19 as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm dissipated the next day, but later redeveloped in the Eastern Pacific as Hurricane Olivia. Luckily, death and damage was much lower than
Hurricane FifiHurricane Fifi was a catastrophic storm during the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season that made landfall in Belize. Fifi was one of the costliest hurricanes in history, causing $3.7 billion in damages. It was also one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes, killing as many as 10,000 people...
, a similar hurricane that devastated the same area in 1974. This was likely due to the lack of flooding, as well as using proper warnings from the affected countries. In all, Greta caused 5 deaths and over $75 million (2005 USD) in damage.
Tropical Storm Hope
Tropical Storm Hope formed just off the northeast coast of
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
on September 12. It remained a tropical depression for 3 days as it moved generally eastward. It ultimately attained 65 mph winds over the open Atlantic, but passed cooler waters before it could reach hurricane strength. Still, the storm retained tropical characteristics to nearly 60ºN, not far from
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
.
Tropical Storm Irma
Tropical Storm Irma formed in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean near the
AzoresThe Azores is a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about from Lisbon and about from the east coast of North America. The two westernmost Azorean islands actually lie on the North American plate...
on October 2. The storm moved north-northeastward, attaining a maximum windspeed of 50 mph and passing through the Azores before it dissipated on October 5.
Tropical Storm Juliet
Juliet formed from a tropical wave on October 7 about 600 miles east of
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
. The storm passed north of the island, attained a wind speed of 50 mph, and headed into the open Atlantic before dissipating on October 11 southwest of
BermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1,770 kilometres northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1,350 kilometres south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada...
. The highest rainfall report from Puerto Rico was 4.51 inches from Toro Negro Plant.
Hurricane Kendra
The final storm of the season formed east of the Bahamas on October 28. The storm strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained windspeeds of 80 mph, and weakened to a tropical depression on November 1, before dissipating on November 3.
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Rating
| ACE (104kt²) – Storm: Source |
| 1 |
19.24 |
Ella |
5 |
4.40 |
CoraHurricane Cora was the first tropical cyclone of the 1978 Atlantic hurricane season to reach hurricane strength. Forming from a disturbance that exited the African coast on August 7, the storm moved at an unusually high forward speed for a cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean in August...
|
9 |
0.885 |
Irma |
| 2 |
11.74 |
Flossie |
6 |
3.81 |
Kendra |
10 |
0.485 |
AmeliaTropical Storm Amelia was a weak tropical storm that brought heavy rain and damage to Texas in July of the 1978 Atlantic hurricane season. Amelia formed on July 30 after wandering around the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea for a week and a half...
|
| 3 |
11.59 |
GretaHurricane Greta-Olivia was a Category 4 hurricane that crossed over Central America, changing names upon reaching the Eastern Pacific during the 1978 Atlantic hurricane season and 1978 Pacific hurricane season. Greta threatened to reproduce the devastating effects of Hurricane Fifi just four years...
|
7 |
2.38 |
Juliet |
11 |
0.481 |
Debra |
| 4 |
5.393 |
Hope |
8 |
1.16 |
Bess |
|
|
|
| Total = 61.561 (62) |
The table on the right shows the
ACEAccumulated cyclone energy is a measure used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to express the activity of individual tropical cyclones and entire tropical cyclone seasons, particularly the North Atlantic hurricane season. It uses an approximation of the energy used by a...
for each storm in the season. 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 have higher ACEs.
Storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic basin in 1978. Storms were named Amelia, Bess, Cora, Flossie, Hope, Irma and Juliet for the first time in 1978. This was the last year that only female names were used. Names that were not assigned are marked in .
- Amelia
Tropical Storm Amelia was a weak tropical storm that brought heavy rain and damage to Texas in July of the 1978 Atlantic hurricane season. Amelia formed on July 30 after wandering around the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea for a week and a half...
- Bess
- Cora
Hurricane Cora was the first tropical cyclone of the 1978 Atlantic hurricane season to reach hurricane strength. Forming from a disturbance that exited the African coast on August 7, the storm moved at an unusually high forward speed for a cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean in August...
- Debra
- Ella
- Flossie
- Greta
Hurricane Greta-Olivia was a Category 4 hurricane that crossed over Central America, changing names upon reaching the Eastern Pacific during the 1978 Atlantic hurricane season and 1978 Pacific hurricane season. Greta threatened to reproduce the devastating effects of Hurricane Fifi just four years...
|
Hope
Irma
Juliet
Kendra |
|
Retirement
No names were retired after the 1978 season.
Season effects
This is a table of the storms in 1978 and their landfall(s), if any. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but are still storm-related. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical or a wave or low.
See also
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
- 1978 Pacific hurricane season
The 1978 Pacific hurricane season officially began May 15, 1978, in the eastern Pacific, June 1, 1978 in the central Pacific, and officially ended 30 November, 1978. These dates conventionally delimit the period of time when tropical cyclones form in the eastern north Pacific Ocean.Activity this...
- 1978 Pacific typhoon season
The 1978 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1978, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December...
- 1978 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons: 1977–78, 1978–79
External links