The '1984 Atlantic hurricane season' officially began on
June 1,
1984, and lasted until
November 30,
1984. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most
tropical cyclones form in the
Atlantic basin. The 1984 was an active season in terms of named storms, but most of them were weak and stayed at sea.
The most damaging storm was
Hurricane Diana, which caused $65.5 million (1984 dollars) in damage in
North Carolina. Diana was the first hurricane to strike a
nuclear power plant, but no damage was reported; it was also the first major hurricane to strike the
U.S. East Coast in nearly 20 years. Also of note was
Hurricane Lili, which lasted well after the official end of the season. It was downgraded from a named storm on
December 24.
Storms
Tropical Depression One
A tropical depression existed on
June 12 and dissipated two days later on
June 14.
[1][HARBINGER OF HURRICANE FADING FAST]
Tropical Depression Two
A tropical depression formed on
June 19 in the
Gulf of Mexico east of
Brownsville, Texas.
[2]
Tropical Depression Three
A tropical depression formed on
July 25[3] and produced rainfall up to six inches in Barbados on
July 26.
[4]The depression dissipated on
July 28. Two commercial fisherman were reported missing near
St.Lucia.
[5]
Subtropical Storm One
A weak front generated a low pressure system that organized into a
subtropical depression north of
Bermuda on
August 18. The depression headed northeast and strengthened to a subtropical storm. It is believed to have merged with a front on
August 21. The history of Subtropical Storm One is not entirely certain, as satellite images were largely unavailable due to a failure of the
VISSR unit on GOES EAST (then
GOES-5).
Tropical Storm Arthur
The 1984 season started late, with its first named storm forming on
August 28. Arthur formed east of the
Windward Islands and tracked generally northwest. It was downgraded to a depression on
September 1, and dissipated several days later. Arthur was a minimal tropical storm, and caused no significant weather on land.
Tropical Storm Bertha
Bertha was a short-lived tropical storm that formed in the mid-Atlantic on
August 31. The storm took a clockwise curving path before merging with a
cold front on
September 4. Bertha never approached land and caused no reported damage.
Tropical Storm Cesar
A second storm formed on
August 31 as a non-tropical low strengthened into Tropical Storm Cesar off the
East Coast of the United States. Cesar travelled northeast and strengthened gradually until it became
extratropical and merged with another system off the coast of
Newfoundland on
September 2.
Hurricane Diana
On
September 8, a non-tropical low organized into Tropical Storm Diana north of the
Bahamas. Diana proved difficult for meteorologists to forecast, initially moving westward towards
Cape Canaveral, but then turned to the north and paralleled the coastline. On
September 11, the storm reached hurricane strength, and continued to intensify to a
Category 4 hurricane. Diana moved north-northeast, and performed a small anti-cyclonic loop before striking near
Cape Fear as a minimal Category 2 hurricane on the 13th. A weakened Tropical Storm Diana curved back out to sea and headed northeast until it became extratropical near Newfoundland on
September 16.
Damage estimates were set at $65.5 million dollars. Three indirect deaths were associated with Diana. Diana was the first hurricane to strike a nuclear power plant — the
Carolina Power and Light Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant recorded sustained hurricane force winds, but there was no damage to the facility.
Tropical Storm Edouard
The origins of Tropical Storm Edouard are unclear, but an area of persistent organized storms formed in the
Bay of Campeche, which strengthened into a tropical storm on
September 14. Edouard rapidly intensified, with wind speeds reaching 65 mph (100 km/h) in 18 hours. Following its strengthening, Edouard dissipated even more quickly, degenerating into an area of thunderstorms the next day. The remnants of Edouard moved over land near the port of
Veracruz.
Tropical Storm Fran
Fran formed near
Cape Verde on
September 15, and travelled generally west-northwest. It dissipated on
September 20. No damage was reported, although weather stations in Cape Verde reported winds just under tropical storm force. 31 people were reported dead on the islands.
[2]
Tropical Storm Gustav
Gustav spent most of its life as a well-organized tropical depression, which formed on
September 16 in the open Atlantic south of
Bermuda. The depression moved north, and its motion stalled over
Bermuda on the 17th. A day later, the depression had strengthened to a tropical storm and was named Gustav. Tropical Storm Gustav headed northeast until it was absorbed by a front on
September 19.
Tropical Depression Eleven
A tropical depression formed on
September 17 and dissipated the next day after passing over
Bermuda.
[6]
Hurricane Hortense
On
September 23, a
subtropical storm formed southeast of Bermuda. The storm acquired tropical characteristics and was named Hortense the next day. Hortense followed a winding path for the next several days, and briefly became a hurricane. On
September 30, the center of the tropical storm passed near Bermuda. The storm merged with an extratropical low on
October 2. The extratropical low that merged with Hortense later caused severe damage and six deaths in
France and
Spain.
[3]
Tropical Storm Isidore
Isidore's storm total rainfall
A tropical depression formed on
September 25 off the southeastern
Bahamas. The depression headed west, and was upgraded to a tropical storm in the central Bahamas on the 26th. It struck the US coast near
Jupiter, Florida. Retaining tropical storm strength, Isidore curved to the northeast, emerging over water near
Jacksonville, Florida. Isidore continued northeast until it was absorbed by a front on
October 1.
Storm damages in the US were estimated at $750,000 dollars (1984
US dollars). One death from electrocution was reported.
Hurricane Josephine
Josephine became a named storm on
October 8 while northeast of
Puerto Rico. It briefly moved west then turned almost due north. While it stayed well away from the U.S. coast, Josephine was a large storm and sustained tropical storm winds were measured at the
Diamond Shoals of
Cape Hatteras. When it passed 36°N latitude (roughly level with
Norfolk, Virginia, Josephine curved to the southeast, then back to the northeast. It continued on this path until it made a cyclonic loop beginning on
October 17 while becoming
extratropical. The storm lost its identity on the 21st.
The hurricane caused wave damage to coastal areas, but primarily posed a threat to the shipping lanes of the North Atlantic.
Hurricane Klaus
Klaus formed as a tropical depression in the central
Caribbean Sea on
November 6. The depression moved north over
Puerto Rico later that day as it reached tropical storm strength. On the 7th, Klaus reached hurricane strength. The hurricane headed generally northeast until it began losing its tropical characteristics on
November 12.
Damage from the storm totaled to $152 million (1984 USD), and the hurricane killed two on Dominica.
Hurricane Lili
A rare December hurricane, Lili began as a
subtropical storm in the central North Atlantic on
December 12. The storm looped over open water for more than a week before acquiring tropical characteristics and being classified as a hurricane. At this point, Hurricane Lili was headed southwest toward the Caribbean. It continued on this path but weakened to a tropical depression as it approached
Hispaniola. By the time of landfall in
Haiti on
December 24, it had degenerated to an area of thunderstorms.
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Rating
| ACE (104kt2) – Storm: |
|---|
| 1 | 19.5 | Josephine | 8 | 1.54 | Cesar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 15.2 | Diana | 9 | 1.30 | Arthur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 11.5 | Klaus | 10 | 0.788 | Edouard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 6.92 | Hortense | 11 | 0.608 | Gustav |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 6.20 | Lili | 12 | 0.490 | Bertha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3.62 | Isidore | 13 | 0.000 | Subtrop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 3.27 | Fran | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total= 70.9375 (71) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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.
1984 storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1984. No names were retired, so it was used again in the
1990 season. This is the first time these names were used since the post-1978 name changes. Names that were not assigned are marked in .
★ Arthur
★ Bertha
★ Cesar
★ Diana
★ Edouard
★ Fran
★ Gustav |
★ Hortense
★ Isidore
★ Josephine
★ Klaus
★ Lili
★
★ |
★
★
★
★
★
★
★ |
Retirement
The
World Meteorological Organization did not retire any names used in the 1984 season.
See also
★
List of notable Atlantic hurricanes
★
List of Atlantic hurricane seasons
References
1. TROPICAL DEPRESSION HITS FLORIDA COAST
2. NEW TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMS IN GULF OF MEXICO
3. POTENTIAL TROPICAL STORM MONITORED
4. [1]
5. STORM WEAKENS IN CARIBBEAN TWO FISHERMEN MISSING AFTER IGNORING WARNINGS
6. ONE DEPRESSION FALTERS
External links
★
Monthly Weather Review
★ [ftp://ftp.nhc.noaa.gov/pub/storm_archives/atlantic/prelimat/atl1984/ Detailed information on all storms from 1984]
★
U.S. Rainfall information for tropical cyclones from 1984
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