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1996 Atlantic hurricane season
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The 1996 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1996, and lasted until November 30, 1996. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.
This season was very active. A total of 13 storms formed; nine storms attained hurricane status, of which six became major hurricanes. Notable storms of the season include Hurricanes Bertha, Cesar, Fran, and Hortense.
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Encyclopedia
The 1996 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1996, and lasted until November 30, 1996. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.
This season was very active. A total of 13 storms formed; nine storms attained hurricane status, of which six became major hurricanes. Notable storms of the season include Hurricanes Bertha, Cesar, Fran, and Hortense. Hurricane Bertha caused moderate to heavy damage in North Carolina, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico in early to mid July. Hurricane Cesar killed at least 51 people in northern South America and Central America. Hurricane Fran caused an estimated $3.2 billion in damage, primarily in North Carolina. Hurricane Hortense caused large amounts of flood damage to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic before heading north and grazing Nova Scotia.
Seasonal activity
The above-average 1996 season produced thirteen storms. The season started with Tropical Storm Arthur forming on June 19 and striking the North Carolina coast. The month of July brought along Hurricane Bertha and Hurricane Cesar, Bertha hitting the same place as Arthur and Cesar, killing 51. August was a high month for activity as Dolly, Edouard, Fran, and Gustav all formed during this month. Edouard, Fran, and Gustav all lasted into the month of September.
Activity was high in September where five of the thirteen storms were active in the month, Edouard, Fran, Gustav, Hortense, and Isidore. Hortense battered the Dominican Republic causing $127 million in damage. October brought along a moderate amount of activity as Isidore, Josephine, Kyle, and Lili were all active. Kyle was a weak storm which made landfall near Nicaragua. Lili lasted 15 days (13 tropical), reached Category 3 status, and made landfall in Cuba. November was a quiet month with only Hurricane Marco forming. Marco never made landfall but killed eight people.
The names Cesar, Fran, and Hortense were retired after this year.
Storms
Tropical Storm Arthur
Arthur formed as a tropical depression over Grand Bahama on June 19. The storm moved north and reached tropical storm strength, and made landfall near Cape Lookout, North Carolina on June 20. Arthur turned to the east and back out into the Atlantic Ocean. It weakened to a tropical depression, became extra tropical, and was absorbed by another system on June 23. Arthur was a minimal tropical storm, and no significant damage was reported.
Hurricane Bertha
A very early season Cape Verde-type hurricane, the tropical depression that became Bertha formed in the central Atlantic on July 5. Bertha traveled westward, and reached hurricane strength on July 8 as it approached the Leeward Islands. Hurricane Bertha passed Antigua and Barbuda later in the day as a Category 1 storm, then passed across many of the other Leeward Islands. Its track shifted more to the north, and Bertha passed far enough from Puerto Rico that only tropical storm force winds were recorded there.
As Bertha moved on, it passed just east of the Bahamas, and continued its slow turn, reaching Category 3 north of Hispaniola, but weakened into a Category 1 later. It's movement then slowed before it recurved northeast, making landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina on July 12 as a cat. 2 with 105 mph winds and a pressure of 975 milibars. Bertha weakened to a tropical storm, and traveled up the east coast of the United States. Bertha finally moved into New Brunswick on July 14, and was declared extratropical. It was tracked to near Greenland.
There were many indirect deaths associated with Bertha, but few were caused directly by the storm. Damage to the United States and its possessions is estimated at $270 million. Estimates of damage in other affected areas are not available.
Hurricane Cesar
Hurricane Cesar formed off the coast of Venezuela, near Curaçao, on July 25. It traveled west, and landfall occurred near Bluefields, Nicaragua on July 28, with Cesar at Category 1 strength. A weakened Cesar moved into the Pacific Ocean where it was renamed Hurricane Douglas. The previous hurricane to strike Nicaragua, 1988's Hurricane Joan, also made the transition to a Pacific hurricane.
There were 51 deaths caused by Cesar, 26 of which were in Costa Rica. Most deaths were due to flooding and mud slides caused by Cesar's heavy rainfall.
Hurricane Dolly
Dolly was named on August 19 in the western Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and Honduras. Dolly strengthened and was a minimal hurricane at landfall near Chetumal, Quintana Roo on August 20. Weakened to a tropical storm, Dolly continued out into the Bay of Campeche, and it regained hurricane strength before a second landfall near Tampico, Tamaulipas on August 23. The storm's remnants continued across Mexico before dissipating over the Pacific on the 25th.
Fourteen people were reported dead in Mexico, six of them drowning victims in Veracruz. Hundreds of homes were destroyed, and large areas of crop land were flooded. A monetary estimate of the damage is not available.
Hurricane Edouard
A tropical wave that moved off the African coast formed into a tropical depression 300 n mi southeast of Cape Verde on August 19. This depression moved west, and on August 22 strengthened into a tropical storm. The next day it was at hurricane strength. As Hurricane Edouard continued across the Atlantic, its winds increased to 145 mph, making it a Category 4 storm and the strongest of the season. It remained an intense hurricane for nearly eight days, an unusual occurrence. Hurricane Edouard's track took it well north of the Antilles, and on August 29, it began turning north. At this time, Edouard was observed to have three concentric eye walls, also an unusual occurrence. Now on a northward track, Edouard passed midway between Cape Hatteras and Bermuda on September 1. The storm approached Nantucket, Massachusetts, but turned to the east before reaching land. Its closest approach was 75 n mi from the island. On September 3, the storm weakened and became extra tropical. It was absorbed by a larger system on the September 7. Edouard was the strongest storm of the season.
There are two deaths attributed to Edouard, both from high surf. Damage was largely limited to boats in southeastern Massachusetts, and totaled to $4.25 million (2005 USD).
Hurricane Fran
A Cape Verde-type hurricane, Fran formed as a tropical depression southeast of Cape Verde on August 23. The depression moved west for several days before reaching tropical storm strength on August 27 while 900 n mi east of the Lesser Antilles. Fran tracked north of the Antilles, and on September 4 was northeast of the Bahamas and moving north-northwest as a Category 3 hurricane. Fran made landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina on September 6 as a 115 mph storm.
Fran weakened and moved inland. Its remnants moved over the Great Lakes and were absorbed by a front on September 10.
Hurricane Fran was responsible for 26 deaths, most from inland flooding. Property damage was estimated at $3.2 billion (1996 dollars).
Tropical Storm Gustav
Gustav was a weak tropical storm that formed near Cape Verde on August 29. It moved northwest, and dissipated on September 2. Gustav caused no damage and did not affect land. Its strength was at first limited by the outflow of Hurricane Fran, then the shear from a cut-off low caused it to dissipate.
Hurricane Hortense
Hortense reached tropical storm status on September 7 while east of the Lesser Antilles. It moved west over Guadeloupe, and once in the Caribbean Sea reached hurricane strength. Hortense turned northward, and crossed southwestern Puerto Rico near Guánica on September 10. Hortense then grazed the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic and headed north.
Hortense then brought hurricane force winds to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The storm continued strengthening, and briefly peaked at Category 4 strength. Its northward motion accelerated, and a weakened Hortense became extra tropical near Newfoundland on September 15.
There were 21 people killed, and another 21 reported missing. Damage in Puerto Rico was estimated at $127 million. Property damage in the Dominican Republic was severe but isolated, and no dollar figure is available.
Hurricane Isidore
Isidore formed southwest of Cape Verde on September 25, and reached hurricane strength the next day. It continued strengthening, and became the 5th major hurricane of the season before turning northward on the 27th. By the 30th, Isidore was heading due north and had weakened to a tropical storm. It became extra tropical northwest of the Azores on October 2. No damages were reported.
Tropical Storm Josephine
A broad area of low pressure caused by a stalled cold front organized into a tropical depression on October 4 in the western Gulf of Mexico. As it drifted to the northeast, upper level shear inhibited development, though a strong pressure gradient allowed it to strengthen to a tropical storm on the 6th. Josephine intensified greatly as it accelerated to the northeast, and struck the Florida Panhandle in Taylor County on the 8th as a 70 mph tropical storm. Upper level shear weakened it, and caused the storm to become extra tropical over Georgia later that day. The extra tropical storm continued rapidly to the northeast over the East Coast of the United States and Canada before ultimately merging with another extra tropical low near Iceland on the 16th.
Tropical Storm Josephine brought heavy rainfall across the Florida Panhandle, amounting to a maximum of 8.5 inches in Foley. The storm produced a storm surge of up to 9 feet in Levy County, and spawned 16 tornadoes, most of which caused only minor damage. The storm also caused severe beach erosion in Texas , as well as severe flooding in the Carolinas. Some of those locations had already dealt with hurricanes Bertha and Fran. In all, Josephine caused an estimated $130 million in damage, and caused no direct deaths in its path.
Tropical Storm Kyle
Kyle was a minimal tropical storm that formed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 11. It moved onshore near the border between Guatemala and Honduras as a weakening tropical depression. In Belize, the storm caused 2.32 inches (59 mm) of rain. Tropical Storm Kyle caused no reported damage.
Hurricane Lili
Hurricane Lili was a strong storm that took a track to the northeast for most of its existence. The tropical depression that would become Lili formed off the east coast of Nicaragua on October 14, and moved slowly to the northwest. On October 16, as it was north of Honduras, it reached tropical storm strength and was named Lili. A well-organized storm, Lili reached hurricane strength the next day. Lili grazed the Isle of Youth on October 18, then hit Matanzas Province, Cuba eight hours later at Category 2 strength. The storm's path turned eastward, and Lili emerged over water twelve hours later on Cuba's northern coast. Lili maintained most of its strength during its trip over Cuba, and as the storm approached the Bahamas, it strengthened further. The center passed over San Salvador Island and Great Exuma on October 19 before heading into the open ocean. Over open water, Lili reached Category 3 strength, and continued its northeastward track. It continued across the Atlantic until it was finally declared extra tropical 300 n mi north of the Azores on October 27. The extra tropical storm retained tropical storm force winds and crossed Ireland and Great Britain on October 28.
The storm caused eight deaths in Central America from flooding during its formative stages. Two direct deaths were reported in the United Kingdom. No deaths were reported in Cuba. Damage in Cuba and the United Kingdom totaled to $804 million (2005 USD), and was reported as severe in the Bahamas and Central America.
Possible storm
In addition to the 13 storms, the National Hurricane Center, in a post-operational review of the season, investigated another possible storm that developed northeast of Bermuda in the middle of November.
Hurricane Marco
Marco formed in the southwestern Caribbean between Jamaica and Honduras on November 16. It achieved tropical storm status on November 19 while slowly moving south. It then turned to the east and strengthened into a minimal hurricane on November 20. It turned to the northeast, but on November 23 it weakened rapidly to a tropical depression while southeast of Jamaica. The depression moved west and restrengthened into a tropical storm, but a cold front caused it to dissipate on November 26 while south of western Cuba.
Although Hurricane Marco never made landfall, it was a large storm and caused heavy rainfall in Central America and Hispaniola. Flooding and mud slides caused by this rain were responsible for eight reported deaths. Property damage is unknown.
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Rating
The table on the right shows the ACE 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 (such as Edouard).
Storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1996. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 2002 season. This is the same list used for the 1990 season except for Dolly and Kyle, which replaced Diana and Klaus. A storm was named Kyle for the first time in 1996 (the name Dolly had been previously used in the 1953, 1954, 1968, and 1974 seasons). Names that were not assigned are marked in .
Retirement
The World Meteorological Organization retired three names in the spring of 1997: Cesar, Fran, and Hortense. They were replaced in the 2002 season by Cristobal, Fay, and Hanna.
See also
External links
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