Tropical Storm Danielle (1986)
Encyclopedia
Tropical Storm Danielle was the only tropical storm
to move through the Caribbean Sea
in 1986
. A short-lived cyclone, Danielle developed on September 7 to the east of the southern Lesser Antilles
. Strengthening to peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h), the storm moved through Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
, where a rainband
moved across the main island with hurricane-force gusts. Continuing westward, Danielle absorbed dry air from northern South America and dissipated on September 10.
The threat of Danielle prompted gale
warnings in Barbados
as well as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. On the former island, wind gusts reached 40 mph (64.4 km/h). On Saint Vincent
, the winds caused a major power outage, while heavy rainfall left crop damage. Another rain system affected the country a few weeks later, and the combined monetary damage totaled $9.2 million (1986 USD, $18 million 2010 USD); 142 people had to seek shelter after their homes were destroyed, and a total of 436 dwellings were impacted to some degree. In Trinidad and Tobago
, the outer rainbands produced flooding and mudslides. Further west, Danielle briefly threatened Jamaica
, although it dissipated before affecting the island.
moved off the western coast of Africa
. It progressed westward through the tropical Atlantic Ocean
, initially at a moderate speed before accelerating to 23 mph (37 km/h) on September 6. A tropical depression developed along the tropical wave early on September 7, and satellite imagery indicated that it quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Danielle about 385 mi (619.6 km) east-southeast of Grenada
, an island in the Lesser Antilles.
On September 8, Hurricane Hunters
flew into Tropical Storm Danielle and reported maximum sustained wind
s of 60 mph (95 km/h), as well as a pressure of 1000 millibars (29.5 inHg). Initially, forecasters anticipated Danielle would strengthen further. As the storm moved through Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a rainband north of the center contained winds of near hurricane force, which moved across the island of Saint Vincent. After maintaining peak winds for about 18 hours, Danielle began weakening in the eastern Caribbean Sea, due to entrainment
of dry air from northern South America. Paralleling the northern coast of the continent, the circulation became dislocated from the convection. Late on September 9, the system weakened to tropical depression status, and the next day it dissipated in the western Caribbean. It was the only tropical cyclone in the Caribbean Sea during 1986.
s were posted for Barbados as well as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. On Saint Vincent, the threat of the storm forced the closure of the main commercial airport, as well as schools, businesses, and stores. Further west, Danielle briefly posed a threat to Jamaica, prompting officials in that country to issue a tropical storm watch
. Two months earlier, the precursor to Tropical Storm Andrew
killed 49 people on the island; to avoid a recurrence, the Jamaican government worked to evacuate fishermen from two small islands as a precaution.
As Danielle moved through the Lesser Antilles, a rainband struck the island of Saint Vincent with wind gusts of near hurricane-force. The winds caused a major power outage on the island, and destroyed the roofs of more than 30 houses. Elsewhere in the country, the combination of winds and heavy rains caused heavy crop damage. Twelve days after Danielle struck, a severe rainstorm affected Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The combined disasters produced a damage total of $9.3 million (1986 USD, $18 million 2010 USD), the majority of it from crop damage. About 40% of the banana crop was destroyed or unfit for cultivation, and 2050 acre of other crops were seriously affected. The two storms caused the deaths of 120 animals, although there were no human fatalities. In addition to the crop damage, the combined impact of the two storms left over 100 houses destroyed, with a total of 436 dwellings damaged; this forced 142 people to seek emergency shelter. Across the country, the heavy rainfall caused mudslides and flooding which disrupted the transportation and utility network.
During its passage, Danielle produced a 40 mph (64.4 km/h) wind gust at the airport in Bridgetown
, Barbados. A coast guard ship from Barbados ran aground into a reef in the southern Grenadines, but it was rescued. Further south, rainbands from Danielle swept through Trinidad and Tobago, producing up to 4 feet (1.2 m) of flooding. The flooding caused 27 landslides and destroyed 4 bridges. Damage in the country was estimated at $8 million (1986 TTD
, $1.2 million 1986 USD).
Tropical cyclone
A 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 strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
to move through the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
in 1986
1986 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1986 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1986, and lasted until November 30, 1986. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
. A short-lived cyclone, Danielle developed on September 7 to the east of the southern Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
. Strengthening to peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h), the storm moved through Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean....
, where a rainband
Rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
moved across the main island with hurricane-force gusts. Continuing westward, Danielle absorbed dry air from northern South America and dissipated on September 10.
The threat of Danielle prompted gale
Gale
A gale is a very strong wind. There are conflicting definitions of how strong a wind must be to be considered a gale. The U.S. government's National Weather Service defines a gale as 34–47 knots of sustained surface winds. Forecasters typically issue gale warnings when winds of this strength are...
warnings in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
as well as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. On the former island, wind gusts reached 40 mph (64.4 km/h). On Saint Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
, the winds caused a major power outage, while heavy rainfall left crop damage. Another rain system affected the country a few weeks later, and the combined monetary damage totaled $9.2 million (1986 USD, $18 million 2010 USD); 142 people had to seek shelter after their homes were destroyed, and a total of 436 dwellings were impacted to some degree. In Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, the outer rainbands produced flooding and mudslides. Further west, Danielle briefly threatened Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, although it dissipated before affecting the island.
Meteorological history
Around September 1, a tropical waveTropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
moved off the western coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It progressed westward through the tropical Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, initially at a moderate speed before accelerating to 23 mph (37 km/h) on September 6. A tropical depression developed along the tropical wave early on September 7, and satellite imagery indicated that it quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Danielle about 385 mi (619.6 km) east-southeast of Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
, an island in the Lesser Antilles.
On September 8, Hurricane Hunters
Hurricane Hunters
The Hurricane Hunters are aircraft that fly into tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic Ocean and Northeastern Pacific Ocean for the specific purpose of directly measuring weather data in and around those storms. In the United States, the Air Force, Navy, and NOAA units have all participated in...
flew into Tropical Storm Danielle and reported 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. Unlike gusts, the value of these winds are...
s of 60 mph (95 km/h), as well as a pressure of 1000 millibars (29.5 inHg). Initially, forecasters anticipated Danielle would strengthen further. As the storm moved through Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a rainband north of the center contained winds of near hurricane force, which moved across the island of Saint Vincent. After maintaining peak winds for about 18 hours, Danielle began weakening in the eastern Caribbean Sea, due to entrainment
Entrainment (meteorology)
Entrainment is a phenomenon of the atmosphere which occurs when a turbulent flow captures a non-turbulent flow. It is typically used to refer to the capture of a wind flow of high moisture content, or in the case of tropical cyclones, the capture of drier air....
of dry air from northern South America. Paralleling the northern coast of the continent, the circulation became dislocated from the convection. Late on September 9, the system weakened to tropical depression status, and the next day it dissipated in the western Caribbean. It was the only tropical cyclone in the Caribbean Sea during 1986.
Preparations and impact
Before Tropical Storm Danielle moved through the Lesser Antilles, a small-craft advisory was issued, and later, gale warningGale warning
A gale warning is a warning issued by weather services in maritime locations about the existence of winds of gale force or above or the imminent occurrence of gales at sea...
s were posted for Barbados as well as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. On Saint Vincent, the threat of the storm forced the closure of the main commercial airport, as well as schools, businesses, and stores. Further west, Danielle briefly posed a threat to Jamaica, prompting officials in that country to issue a tropical storm watch
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches
Warnings and watches are two levels of alert issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local population and civil authorities to make appropriate...
. Two months earlier, the precursor to Tropical Storm Andrew
Tropical Storm Andrew (1986)
Tropical Storm Andrew was a small, moderate tropical storm that formed in early June 1986. The first named storm of the 1986 Atlantic hurricane season, Andrew developed from a large, northward bound area of disturbed weather. Although it reached its peak intensity as a tropical storm, the initial...
killed 49 people on the island; to avoid a recurrence, the Jamaican government worked to evacuate fishermen from two small islands as a precaution.
As Danielle moved through the Lesser Antilles, a rainband struck the island of Saint Vincent with wind gusts of near hurricane-force. The winds caused a major power outage on the island, and destroyed the roofs of more than 30 houses. Elsewhere in the country, the combination of winds and heavy rains caused heavy crop damage. Twelve days after Danielle struck, a severe rainstorm affected Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The combined disasters produced a damage total of $9.3 million (1986 USD, $18 million 2010 USD), the majority of it from crop damage. About 40% of the banana crop was destroyed or unfit for cultivation, and 2050 acre of other crops were seriously affected. The two storms caused the deaths of 120 animals, although there were no human fatalities. In addition to the crop damage, the combined impact of the two storms left over 100 houses destroyed, with a total of 436 dwellings damaged; this forced 142 people to seek emergency shelter. Across the country, the heavy rainfall caused mudslides and flooding which disrupted the transportation and utility network.
During its passage, Danielle produced a 40 mph (64.4 km/h) wind gust at the airport in Bridgetown
Bridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
, Barbados. A coast guard ship from Barbados ran aground into a reef in the southern Grenadines, but it was rescued. Further south, rainbands from Danielle swept through Trinidad and Tobago, producing up to 4 feet (1.2 m) of flooding. The flooding caused 27 landslides and destroyed 4 bridges. Damage in the country was estimated at $8 million (1986 TTD
Trinidad and Tobago dollar
The dollar is the currency of Trinidad and Tobago. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively TT$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is subdivided into 100 cents...
, $1.2 million 1986 USD).
See also
- Other tropical cyclones named DanielleHurricane DanielleThe name Danielle has been used for six tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* Tropical Storm Danielle – flooded the area of Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas* Tropical Storm Danielle – caused light damage to the Windward Islands...