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1979 Atlantic hurricane season
 
 
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The 1979 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1979, and lasted until November 30, 1979. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone

A tropical cyclone is a storm characterized by a large low pressure system center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and flooding rain....
s form in the Atlantic basin
Atlantic Basin

Atlantic Basin may refer to:* Atlantic Ocean* Atlantic Basin in Brooklyn, site of:** Brooklyn Cruise Terminal** Atlantic Basin Iron Works...
.

The most notable storm of 1979 was Hurricane David
Hurricane David

Hurricane David was the fourth named tropical cyclone, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. A Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, David was among the deadliest hurricanes in the latter half of the 20th century, killing over 2,000 people in its path, mostly in the...
, a Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms, and thereby become hurricanes....
 that killed over 2,000 people, mostly in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are List of divided islands, Saint Martin being the other....
, and caused nearly 1.5 billion dollars in damage (1979 USD).

Hurricane Frederic
Hurricane Frederic

Hurricane Frederic was the sixth tropical cyclone, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. Frederic was the costliest and first hurricanes to ever hit the U.S....
, which caused $2.3 billion (1979 US dollars; $6.5 billion in 2005 USD), became the most expensive hurricane in United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 history (at the time) when it made landfall near the border between Mississippi
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi 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 Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
 and Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
.

1979 season was an average but destructive season with 27 depressions, but only 9 became storms. The notable cyclones include Tropical Depression Two which caused one of Jamaica's worst natural disasters.






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The 1979 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1979, and lasted until November 30, 1979. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone

A tropical cyclone is a storm characterized by a large low pressure system center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and flooding rain....
s form in the Atlantic basin
Atlantic Basin

Atlantic Basin may refer to:* Atlantic Ocean* Atlantic Basin in Brooklyn, site of:** Brooklyn Cruise Terminal** Atlantic Basin Iron Works...
.

The most notable storm of 1979 was Hurricane David
Hurricane David

Hurricane David was the fourth named tropical cyclone, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. A Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, David was among the deadliest hurricanes in the latter half of the 20th century, killing over 2,000 people in its path, mostly in the...
, a Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms, and thereby become hurricanes....
 that killed over 2,000 people, mostly in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are List of divided islands, Saint Martin being the other....
, and caused nearly 1.5 billion dollars in damage (1979 USD).

Hurricane Frederic
Hurricane Frederic

Hurricane Frederic was the sixth tropical cyclone, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. Frederic was the costliest and first hurricanes to ever hit the U.S....
, which caused $2.3 billion (1979 US dollars; $6.5 billion in 2005 USD), became the most expensive hurricane in United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 history (at the time) when it made landfall near the border between Mississippi
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi 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 Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
 and Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
.

Season summary

The 1979 season was an average but destructive season with 27 depressions, but only 9 became storms. The notable cyclones include Tropical Depression Two which caused one of Jamaica's worst natural disasters. Tropical Storm Claudette became one of the most destructive tropical storms of all time and creating a 24-hour rainfall record at the time. Hurricane David
Hurricane David

Hurricane David was the fourth named tropical cyclone, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. A Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, David was among the deadliest hurricanes in the latter half of the 20th century, killing over 2,000 people in its path, mostly in the...
 peaked at Category 5 status becoming the first hurricane of such strength to make landfall directly in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are List of divided islands, Saint Martin being the other....
, killing over 2000 people. Hurricane Frederic became a weak Category 4 hurricane with winds of , doing over $4-8 billion dollars in damage (2005 USD) to the same area as Hurricane David. Hurricane Henri
Hurricane Henri (1979)

Hurricane Henri was a rare tropical cyclone that entered the Gulf of Mexico without having made landfall ; it was the second of four times this occurred during the 20th century....
 formed in Mid-September in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba....
 and never made landfall, which is a rare occurrence. Damage for the whole season totaled out to $12.1 billion (2005 USD).

Storms


Tropical Depression One


Tropical Depression Two


A tropical depression formed west of Jamaica
Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. It is about south of Cuba, and west of the island of Hispaniola, on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are situated....
 on June 11 produced heavy rainfalls with record floods in several parishes for two days with maximum sustained wind
Maximum sustained wind

The maximum sustained winds associated with a tropical cyclone are a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, they are found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW....
s of . The depression continued north, parallelling the Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 coast on June 15 and made landfall in South Carolina
South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
 on June 16. Tropical Depression Two dissipated over land. The town of Friendship recorded of rain with 15 in other parts of western Jamaica. Due to saturated mud from other rains, caused one of Jamaica
Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. It is about south of Cuba, and west of the island of Hispaniola, on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are situated....
's worst natural disaster in the 70s. Over 210,000 people were affected by floods on June 12 alone causing for major damage. Economic damages totalled out to $27 million (1979 USD-$75 million in 2006 USD) with forty people killed.

The flooding in western Jamaica from Tropical Depression Two devastated the area and caused the government to establish a permanent disaster management organization.

Tropical Storm Ana


Ana formed as the third tropical depression east of the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles

The 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....
 on June 19. She was one of the first tropical storms to develop that far east during the month of June since the 1933 Atlantic hurricane season
1933 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1933 Atlantic hurricane season was the second most active Atlantic hurricane season on record, with 21 storms forming during that year in the northwest Atlantic Ocean....
. The depression curved gently northwest and strengthened into Tropical Storm Ana while northeast of Barbados on June 22. Ana crossed the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
 and weakened into a tropical depression. The storm degenerated the next morning in the central Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean situated in the mid-latitudes of the Western Hemisphere, bounded to the south and west by the Americas, with the North Atlantic Ocean proper to the northeast and the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest....
.

Tropical Depression Four


Hurricane Bob


Bob was a weak hurricane that formed in the western Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba....
 and curved northeast. The storm strengthened rapidly, reaching hurricane strength a couple hundred miles south of the Louisiana
Louisiana

The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
 coast on July 11. It made landfall near Dulac, Louisiana
Dulac, Louisiana

Dulac is a census-designated place in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,458 at the 2000 United States Census....
 later that day, killing two people and causing $20 million ($55.56 million in 2006 USD) in damages. Bob dropped 3-5 inches of rain over southern Indiana before looping over the mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic

Mid-Atlantic can refer to:*Mid-Atlantic Ridge, an underwater mountain range in the Atlantic Ocean separating two tectonic plates*Mid-Atlantic English, a mix between English English and American English...
 states and out into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
. The storm finally dissipated on July 16.

Bob was the first July hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba....
 since Hurricane Debra
1959 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1959 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1959, and lasted until November 15, 1959. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
 in the 1959 season
1959 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1959 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1959, and lasted until November 15, 1959. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
 as well as the first Atlantic hurricane
Atlantic hurricane

North Atlantic tropical cyclones usually form in summer or autumn. Tropical cyclones can be broken down by intensity. Tropical storms have one-minute maximum sustained winds of at least 39 mph , while hurricanes have one-minute maximum sustained exceeding 74 mph ....
 to have a male name from the new alternating male-female lists. .

Tropical Storm Claudette


Claudette was a long-lived (July 15 - July 29) but fairly weak storm that spent almost its entire life as a tropical depression. Claudette formed in the central Atlantic east of the Windward Islands
Windward Islands

The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles....
. It had two spells as a tropical storm; the first was a brief one east of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a Autonomy Territories of the United States of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands....
. The storm passed directly over the island just after weakening, where it killed one person from flooding. The depression moved casually through the Greater Antilles
Greater Antilles

File:LocationGreaterAntilles.pngThe Greater Antilles is one of three island groups in the Caribbean. Comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico--the four largest islands of the Antilles--the Greater Antilles constitutes almost 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies....
 and moved into the Gulf of Mexico. Claudette restrengthened into a tropical storm south of Sabine, Texas and made landfall near Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas

Port Arthur is a city in Jefferson County, Texas within the Beaumont, Texas–Port Arthur Beaumont?Port Arthur metropolitan area of the U.S....
, killing one person from floods. The storm stalled over Alvin, Texas
Alvin, Texas

Alvin is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, Texas, United States, within the Houston Metropolitan Area. The city sits in Texas's Texas's 14th congressional district , currently represented by Congressman Ron Paul....
 on the evening of the 25th, and dropped of rain there over the next 42 hours; this included in 24 hours, the record 24-hour rainfall in US history at the time. Damages from flooding in Texas were enormous, totaling $400 million (1979 USD ($1.1 billion 2005 USD)). Claudette was one of the costliest storms on record that never reached hurricane intensity.

Tropical Depression Nine


Tropical Depression Ten


The tenth tropical depression of the 1979 season formed on July 28 south of where TD Nine formed a week before. The depression moved to the northwest, making landfall as a tropical depression in Bermuda
Bermuda

Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1770 kilometres northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1350 kilometres south of Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada....
 on August 4. The depression made landfall on the southeastern tip of Newfoundland on August 5 after passing southeast of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is a Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada....
 earlier that morning. Tropical Depression Ten dissipated on August 6 southeast of Labrador
Labrador

Labrador is a region of Atlantic Canada. Together with the island of Newfoundland from which it is separated by the Strait of Belle Isle, it constitutes the province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
. No damage or fatality reports are available.

Hurricane David


David ranks as one of the strongest and deadliest Atlantic hurricane
Atlantic hurricane

North Atlantic tropical cyclones usually form in summer or autumn. Tropical cyclones can be broken down by intensity. Tropical storms have one-minute maximum sustained winds of at least 39 mph , while hurricanes have one-minute maximum sustained exceeding 74 mph ....
s on record. It formed from a tropical wave
Tropical wave

Tropical waves, or easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric Trough , an elongated area of relatively Low pressure area, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of cloudiness and thunderstorms....
 in the central Atlantic east of the Windward Islands
Windward Islands

The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles....
. The storm headed west, steadily strengthening. By the time David reached the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, part of the West Indies. They are situated where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
, it was at Category 4 intensity. David continued strengthening and reached Category 5 status south of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a Autonomy Territories of the United States of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands....
. It spent nearly two days at Category 5 intensity, storming through Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo, or in full, Santo Domingo de Guzm?n, is the Capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic, and the second largest city in the Caribbean....
, the capital of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are List of divided islands, Saint Martin being the other....
. Crossing Hispaniola
Hispaniola

Hispaniola is the second-largest and most populous island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east....
 weakened the storm greatly however, and David exited the island as a weak Category 1. It strengthened into a Category 2
Category 2

Category 2 can refer to:*Category 2 Tropical Cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.*Category 2 Pandemic on the Pandemic Severity Index...
 off the south Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 coast. The western eyewall
Eye (cyclone)

The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30?65 km in diameter....
 crossed the shoreline near Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fort Lauderdale, known as the "Venice of America" due to its expansive and intricate canal system, is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States....
 and continued up the entire length of the coast. The beach erosion was severe. David made landfall near Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Chatham County, Georgia, Georgia , United States. Savannah was established in 1733 and was the first colonial and state capital of Georgia....
 as a Category 1 and dissipated inland. David killed over 2,000 people in Hispaniola, 56 people on the island of Dominica
Dominica

The Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica, is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. To the north/northwest lies Guadeloupe, to the southeast Martinique....
, and 12 people in the U.S. as well as causing $1.54 billion (1979 USD ($4.36 billion 2005 USD)) in damage.

David was only one of two storms to directly impact the Dominican Republic at such intensity, the only other being the Hurricane 2 of 1930
1930 Dominican Republic Hurricane

The 1930 Dominican Republic Hurricane, also known as Hurricane San Zenon is the fifth List of deadliest Atlantic hurricanes Atlantic hurricane on record....
.

Tropical Storm Elena


A weak tropical wave formed over Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 on August 27, however on August 29, ship and buoy reports mentioned a low-level circulation forming. An Air Force
United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Military of the United States and one of the uniformed services of the United States....
 reconnaissance
Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information. Militarily, its shorthand Australian, Canadian, and British form is recce , its American usage form is recon ....
 flight confirmed the report and was upgraded into Tropical Depression Six on the same day. Slow development occurred causing the depression to gain strength slowly, however by the next day, it was able to strengthen into Tropical Storm Elena. Elena did not intensify, peaking at 40 mph
MPH

mph is a three-letter acronym that refers to miles per hour, a measurement of speedMPH may also refer to:* Master of Public Health, a Master's degree in public health...
 with a pressure of 1004 mbar. Elena turned toward the Texas coast near Matagorda Bay
Matagorda Bay

Matagorda Bay is a large estuary bay on the Texas coast, located between Calhoun County, Texas and Matagorda County, Texas counties. The Colorado River empties into the bay on its way to the Gulf of Mexico....
, spawning watches and warnings and made landfall on September 1 as a weak tropical storm. Elena could not even be identified as a tropical depression by the next day.

Elena caused less than $10 million dollars (1979 USD) ($28 million 2005 USD) in damage but managed to kill two people in floods.

Hurricane Frederic


Frederic was a long-lived Cape Verde-type hurricane
Cape Verde-type hurricane

A Cape Verde-type hurricane is an Atlantic hurricane that develops near the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa. The average hurricane season has about two Cape Verde-type hurricanes, which are usually the most intense storms of the season because they often have plenty of warm open ocean over which to develop before encounterin...
. It first became a hurricane in the central Atlantic east of the Windward Islands
Windward Islands

The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles....
 but soon weakened back into a tropical storm. Frederic crossed Hispaniola and weakened into a tropical depression. Frederic then crossed Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
 and regained tropical storm strength before entering the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba....
. It was then that Frederic started to strengthen rapidly. By the time it reached a point just east of the Mississippi River Delta
Mississippi River Delta

The Mississippi River Delta is the Holocene area of land built up by alluvium deposited by the Mississippi River as it slows down and enters the Gulf of Mexico....
, Frederic was a Category 4. It made landfall near the Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
/Mississippi
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi 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 Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
 border. Due to prior warning, the death toll was a minimal five people; however, damages soared to $2.3 billion (1979 dollars ($6.5 billion 2005 dollars)) in damage.

Hurricane Gloria


Hurricane Gloria began as a large African disturbance and became Tropical Depression Seventeen on September 4 off the northwestern African coast. As common with early September, TD Seventeen took a northwesterly direction, passing to the northeast of the Cape Verde Islands. The northwesterly course was influenced by the depression's large size. On September 6, the depression became Tropical Storm Gloria and reached hurricane strength the next day. After becoming a hurricane, Gloria slowed down to just about to the northwest until September 10. However, rising pressures caused Gloria to go in a westerly drift for a few days. Rapid acceleration to the northeast occurred with satellites indicating that Gloria had reached her peak intensity of on September 13 with a minimum pressure of 975 mbar. Gloria merged with a low-pressure system on September 15 and lost tropical characteristics.

Gloria did not affect landmasses and was only a threat to marine interests.

Hurricane Henri


Henri was a weak hurricane that took an unusual track through the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba....
. It formed as a tropical depression off Cancún
Cancún

Canc?n is a coastal city in Mexico's easternmost state, Quintana Roo, on the Yucat?n Peninsula. Cancun is located on the Yucatan Channel that separates Mexico from the island of Cuba in the Greater Antilles....
 and curved around the peninsula, entering the Bay of Campeche
Bay of Campeche

The Bay of Campeche is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexico States of Mexico of Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz....
. Henri quickly strengthened into a tropical storm and reached hurricane strength on September 17. It soon weakened back to a tropical storm and stalled off Tampico, Mexico. Henri then doubled back the way it came, weakened into a tropical depression, and curved sharply east into the open Gulf of Mexico, dissipating in the eastern Gulf. No damage was reported. This was a rare example of a storm entering the Gulf of Mexico and dissipating without making landfall.

Tropical Depression Nineteen


Tropical Depression Twenty


The 20th tropical depression of the 1979 season formed as a non-tropical low on September 19 off the coast of Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas

Brownsville is a city in and the county seat of Cameron County, Texas, Texas, United States. Brownsville is the 15th largest city in the state of Texas and the 130th largest in the United States....
. The low appeared in the same area as Hurricane Henri was drifting around in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba....
. The low became TD 20 on the 20th of September off the Texas coast. The depression made landfall in Texas on September 21, dissipating over land. The depression left 10-15 inches of rainfall throughout the area from Corpus Christi, Texas to southwestern Louisiana.

Tropical Depression Twenty-One


Tropical Depression Twenty-Two


A tropical depression formed on October 12 near Honduras
Honduras

Honduras is a democratic republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras ....
 and moved to the northeast towards Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
. The depression passed by Cuba and turned back towards the Yucatan Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula

The Yucat?n Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucat?n Channel....
. The depression made landfall in the Yucatan on October 20 and dissipated afterwards.

Subtropical Storm One


Subtropical Storm One formed south of Bermuda
Bermuda

Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1770 kilometres northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1350 kilometres south of Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada....
 on October 23 and headed north. The subtropical depression
Subtropical cyclone

A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of a tropical cyclone and some characteristics of an extratropical cyclone....
 grazed Bermuda and became a subtropical storm. This unnamed storm continued north
North

North is one of the four cardinal directions, specifically the direction that, in Western culture, is treated as the fundamental direction:...
 and continued to strengthen. The storm briefly reached hurricane strength (though it was not a hurricane because it was not tropical) before weakening. The storm made landfall on Newfoundland on the 25th and dissipated later that day. No damage was reported.

Tropical Depression Twenty-Five


The 25th tropical depression of the 1979 season formed near Panama
Panama

Panama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation....
 on October 24. The depression moved to the north towards Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
 but changed directions and headed towards Nicaragua
Nicaragua

Nicaragua officially the Republic of Nicaragua , is a representative democracy republic. It is the largest state in Central America with an area of 130,000 km2, about the size of the state of New York....
, where it made landfall on October 29, dissipating over land.

Tropical Depression Twenty-Six


The 26th tropical depression of the 1979 season formed from an old baroclinic zone on November 8 near Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a Autonomy Territories of the United States of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands....
. The depression moved northeastward but appeared to have made contact with the westerlies. However, strong pressure rises caused the depression to weaken and turn back to the southwest. Ships that passed through the system recorded winds of 35-40 mph.

Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Rating

ACE (104kt˛) – Storm: Source
1 44.0 David
Hurricane David

Hurricane David was the fourth named tropical cyclone, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. A Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, David was among the deadliest hurricanes in the latter half of the 20th century, killing over 2,000 people in its path, mostly in the...
 6 1.62 Claudette
Tropical Storm Claudette (1979)

Tropical Storm Claudette was a long living tropical storm that produced heavy rain across Puerto Rico and Texas in late July 1979. The storm killed 2 people and left $1.1 billion in damage....
2 20.7 Frederic
Hurricane Frederic

Hurricane Frederic was the sixth tropical cyclone, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. Frederic was the costliest and first hurricanes to ever hit the U.S....
 7 0.980 Elena
Tropical Storm Elena (1979)

Tropical Storm Elena was a weak tropical cyclone that moved ashore along Texas in the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. The sixth tropical storm of the season, Elena developed from a tropical wave to the south of Louisiana on August 29....
3 17.4 Gloria 8 0.815 Ana
4 3.70 Henri
Hurricane Henri (1979)

Hurricane Henri was a rare tropical cyclone that entered the Gulf of Mexico without having made landfall ; it was the second of four times this occurred during the 20th century....
   
5 2.10 Bob
Hurricane Bob (1979)

Hurricane Bob was a minimal hurricane that brought rainfall throughout several states, killing one person and causing over $20 million in damage....
    
Total= 91.2725 (91)
The table on the right shows the ACE
Accumulated cyclone energy

Accumulated 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 Atlantic hurricane seasons....
 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. ACE only counts storms of tropical storm strength, so all of the depressions this year have no ACE. Also, subtropical storms aren't included in season totals, so subtropical storm 1 has no ACE as well. The total ACE for this season was 91.2, which is slightly above average.

Storm names

The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1979. This season marked the debut of the current set of six lists containing both male and female names, replacing the ten-year set of female name lists introduced in 1971; this was due to protests from women's rights groups. Unisex names were considered, though prior to the start of the season the World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization

The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 188 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873....
 approved of the current list alternating between male and female names of English, Spanish, and French origin. Initially, male names were scheduled to be introduced in the 1981 season
1981 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1981 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1981, and lasted until November 30, 1981. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
. Storms were named Ana, Bob, Claudette, David, Frederic and Henri for the first time in 1979. The name Elena was previously used in the 1965 season
1965 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1965 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1965, and lasted until November 30, 1965. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
, and the name Gloria was used in 1976. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 1985 season
1985 Atlantic hurricane season

The 1985 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1985, and lasted until November 30, 1985. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
. Names that were not assigned are marked in .

  • Ana
  • Bob
    Hurricane Bob (1979)

    Hurricane Bob was a minimal hurricane that brought rainfall throughout several states, killing one person and causing over $20 million in damage....
  • Claudette
    Tropical Storm Claudette (1979)

    Tropical Storm Claudette was a long living tropical storm that produced heavy rain across Puerto Rico and Texas in late July 1979. The storm killed 2 people and left $1.1 billion in damage....
  • David
    Hurricane David

    Hurricane David was the fourth named tropical cyclone, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. A Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, David was among the deadliest hurricanes in the latter half of the 20th century, killing over 2,000 people in its path, mostly in the...
  • Elena
    Tropical Storm Elena (1979)

    Tropical Storm Elena was a weak tropical cyclone that moved ashore along Texas in the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. The sixth tropical storm of the season, Elena developed from a tropical wave to the south of Louisiana on August 29....
  • Frederic
    Hurricane Frederic

    Hurricane Frederic was the sixth tropical cyclone, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. Frederic was the costliest and first hurricanes to ever hit the U.S....
  • Gloria
  • Henri
    Hurricane Henri (1979)

    Hurricane Henri was a rare tropical cyclone that entered the Gulf of Mexico without having made landfall ; it was the second of four times this occurred during the 20th century....
    		•  


    Retirement

    The World Meteorological Organization
    World Meteorological Organization

    The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 188 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873....
     retired two names in the spring of 1980: David and Frederic. They were replaced in the 1985 season
    1985 Atlantic hurricane season

    The 1985 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1985, and lasted until November 30, 1985. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin....
     by Danny and Fabian.

    See also

    • List of Atlantic hurricanes
    • List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
      List of Atlantic hurricane seasons

      File:Atlantic hurricane tracks.jpgThe following is list of Atlantic hurricane seasons. The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year when tropical cyclone usually form in the Atlantic Ocean....
    • 1979 Pacific hurricane season
      1979 Pacific hurricane season

      The 1979 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1979 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1979 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1979....
    • 1979 Pacific typhoon season
      1979 Pacific typhoon season

      The 1979 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1979, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December....
    • 1979 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
    • Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons: 1978–79, 1979–80


    External links