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Hurricane Luis
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Hurricane Luis was the twelfth named tropical cyclone and one of the most powerful storms during the very busy 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. The rare, large and long-lived Cape Verde-type hurricane lasted for 16 days during August and September. Luis passed through the northern Lesser Antilles with winds of 135 mph (215 km/h), killing 17, thousands missing and causing billions in damage; ten days later Hurricane Marilyn would strike the same area as a category 1 hurricane.
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Hurricane Luis was the twelfth named tropical cyclone and one of the most powerful storms during the very busy 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. The rare, large and long-lived Cape Verde-type hurricane lasted for 16 days during August and September. Luis passed through the northern Lesser Antilles with winds of 135 mph (215 km/h), killing 17, thousands missing and causing billions in damage; ten days later Hurricane Marilyn would strike the same area as a category 1 hurricane. At one point during the season, the storm was one of four simultaneous Atlantic tropical systems, along with Humberto, Iris, and Karen. Luis was one of the three storm to affect Guadeloupe in a short period of time; the first was Hurricane Iris a week before and the other was Hurricane Marilyn only ten days after.
Hurricane Luis was the strongest storm to hit the Leeward Islands since Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
Meteorological history
On August 26, a vigorous tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa. As it moved slowly westward, it rapidly organized, and developed into Tropical Depression Thirteen on August 27 near the Cape Verde islands. At this time, there were five simultaneous Atlantic tropical cyclones, including Hurricane Humberto, Hurricane Iris, Tropical Storm Karen, and Tropical Depression Jerry. After attaining tropical storm status on the 29th, the storm remained a weak tropical storm due to vertical shear and dry air. After the shear abated and the environment become less dry, Luis rapidly intensified over the warm waters of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, reaching hurricane strength on the 30th and Category 4 status on September 2.
Hurricane Luis moved slowly westward due Tropical Storm Karen, that become a higher pressure to its north, blocking the storm to move northwestward. Continual favorable conditions allowed the hurricane to peak at on September 3 as it neared the Leeward Islands. Late September 4, 300 miles wide tropical storm force-winds affect Antigua and Guadeloupe. In the early morning of September 5, after the worst missed Guadeloupe, the hurricane passed directly over Barbuda, with its winds and 945 mb pressure affecting sussecively, with its 140 miles wide hurricane force wind, Antigua, St. Barthelemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Martin, and Anguilla.
Luis turned to the northwest, and remained a Category 4 hurricane until September 7 while north of Puerto Rico. Though forecasts predicted a more westward track towards the eastern Bahamas, the hurricane turned to the north, bringing powerful swells to much of the East Coast of the United States. Moving around the periphery of the subtropical ridge, Luis turned to the north, and weakened to a Category 2 hurricane on the 9th. After passing to the west of Bermuda the next day, it accelerated at to the northeast and slowly weakened. Hurricane Luis crossed over southeastern Newfoundland on September 11, and became extratropical later that day.
Preparations
In the days preceding the hurricane's landfall, Luis remained a very large and slow westward moving Category 4 hurricane, giving the Leeward Islands ample time to prepare for its effects. Hurricane Warnings were issued around 30 hours before Luis passed through, allowing for the opening of shelters and the preparation of the affected islands.
Impact
Impact by area | Country | Deaths | Damage (1995 USD) |
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| St. Martin | 9 | $1.8 billion | | Antigua and Barbuda | 3 | $350 million | | St Kitts and Nevis | | $197 million | | Puerto Rico | 2 | Unknown | | Guadeloupe | 1 | Unknown | | Dominica | 1 | $47 million | | Newfoundland | 1 | $2 million | | Total | 17 | $2.5 billion (estimated) |
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Leeward Islands
Overall, Luis caused extensive crop and property damage across the Leeward Islands from its high winds and heavy rainfall. Damage totals are unknown in some islands, due to lack of reports from every island, though it is estimated at $2.5 billion (1995 USD).
Dominica
The island experienced minimal tropical storm wind that damages only trees and vegetation; 70% damage to banana crops. Damages was fairly minor but the waves destroyed severals roads and causing 1000 homeless. Property damage was estimated at $47 million, and contributed to the effects of Tropical Storm Iris only a week before.
Saint Martin
Hurricane Luis brought 6 inches of rain and destructive category 1 winds for nearly a 12 hour period as it passed near 20 miles east- northeast of Saint Martin.
Overall damages was very extensive due also to the poor infrastructure of the island.
60% of houses were damaged or destroyed including business, hospitals, hotels, churches and schools. The Haitian's area in the Dutch Side was completely eradicated while in Grand Case bay, high waves seriously damaged at least 90% of houses and the main pier.
In Marigot, high waves damaged the frontsea. Several hotels were closed until the next year. Total of 70% boats were damaged everywhere in the island and out of the 1500 boats that were sheltered in the Simpson Bay Lagoon, near 95% or at least 1200 of them sunk in the lagoon or came onshore.
The Capital of the Dutch Side, Philipsburg and nearby towns have been devastated at 80% and underwater by the Great Salt Pond Lake.
Part of the islands was without water and power for a couples of month.
Princess Juliana Airport recorded a 75 knots sustained wind and 99 knots sustained wind gust with 963 mb pressure and tropical storm winds for 24 hours, at least while a sailor in the lagoon recorded the same gust winds with minimal pressure to 964 mb and an unofficial station in the French Side recorded gust to 202 mph while maximum winds were well under 100 mph.
The hurricane brings several tornados during this period in the island.
Luis officially killed 9, with possible hundred missing mostly in where the people were trapped in the lagoon and left 7,000 homeless resulting in $1.8 billion in total damage (1995 USD).
Luis has been the worst hurricane to affect the island since Hurricane Donna in 1960.
Saint Barthelemy
The main weather station recorded a 108 knots winds and a 135 knots gust. The minimal pressure downed to 948 mb, and it stay below 1000 mb for a 36 hour period. Luis caused extensive damages as the eyewall passed nearby.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The entire infrastructure of Saint Kitts and Nevis were damaged, with troubles especially occurring to the water system. Luis caused moderate house and crop damage as the eyewall passed 50 miles from the islands. Luis amounting to $197 million (1995 USD).
Antigua and Barbuda
As a result of a direct hit from a Category 4 hurricane, both Antigua and Barbuda experienced extensive house damage from 135-140 mph winds and of rain. 70% of houses were damaged or destroyed on Barbuda, and nearly half of the houses on Antigua were eradicated by Hurricane Luis. Much of the islands experienced power outages and disrupted water systems. The main American base recorded a 105 knots sustained winds and a 127 knots sustained gust with minimal pressure down to 971 mb. In all, 3 people were killed, 32,000 left homeless with 165 injured and 1,700 people in shelter. In addition, their government estimated a damage total of $350 million (1995 USD).
International aid was sought after in the days following the storm, with building and food supplies being the most needed. Sanitation in general was lacking subsequent to the storm, contributing to an increased mosquito population. By 2 weeks after the hurricane, life was slowly returning to normalcy as money came to aid the 2 islands, including $200,000 from France to assist in their troubles.
Guadeloupe
The hurricane caused power outages, uprooted trees, causing beach erosion, few houses been roofless damages in the north coast of Grande-Terre with 70 knots winds, but overall damages was fairly minimal except the banana crops been damaged at 60% with the combination of Tropical Storm Iris a week before in the island.
Luis high waves killed a French tourist while taking pictures of the dramatic seas in a pier.
In Pointe-a-Pitre Airport, they recorded a 55 knots winds and 72 knots gust as the tropical storm force wind affect for a long period cause of Luis enormous size while the minimal pressure going downed to 994 mb and a 7 inches rain.
Although wind caused minor damages in Basse-Terre Island, the mountainous region recorded a 20 inches of rain.
Atlantic Ocean and Canada
Bermuda experienced light winds and seas from Hurricane Luis, and damage was minimal.
During a trip between Southampton, England and New York City, the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, in an attempt to avoid the storm, sailed into the outskirts of Hurricane Luis (which was just a Category 1 hurricane at the time). High winds caused the ship to list to one side by seven degrees and a 29 metre (95 ft) freak wave crashed over the bow of the ocean liner.
Also, a nearby Canadian buoy recorded a wave 30 meters (98 ft) high at about the same time.
Days after passing through the Caribbean, Luis passed through Newfoundland, bringing heavy winds, seas, and 2 to of rain on the Avalon Peninsula. Damage totaled $2 million (1995 USD), and one person died on the island.
Retirement
The name Luis was retired in the spring of 1996 because of its damaging impact, and will not be used for another Atlantic hurricane again. It was replaced with Lorenzo in the 2001 season. Luis was the first L name to be retired since 1954, and was the first Atlantic Hurricane name to be retired in three years, making it the longest gap recorded, although it was tied with the 1980-1983 gap and 1985-1988 gap as well.
See also
External links
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