'Hurricane Lenny' was the 12th tropical storm, eighth
hurricane, and fifth major hurricane in the
1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Lenny was the strongest
Atlantic hurricane ever recorded in November, and quite unusual in that it moved west-to-east across the
Caribbean.
Lenny brought more heavy rains to areas in the
Leeward Islands that had been affected by
Hurricane Jose just one month earlier, and brought more damage to areas struck by
Hurricane Georges the previous year.
Storm history
A broad area of low pressure formed in the southwestern
Caribbean Sea on
November 8. It drifted northward, slowly organizing with warm water temperatures and little upper-level shear. On
November 13, the disturbance organized enough to be classified as Tropical Depression Sixteen, 300 nautical miles west-southwest of
Kingston, Jamaica. Conditions continued to favor development, and the depression became Tropical Storm Lenny on the 14th.
Lenny headed east-southeastward, its motion in part due to the southern portion of a deep-layer trough over the western Atlantic. On
November 15, Lenny intensified to hurricane strength while south of
Jamaica, and reached Category 2 strength later that day. However, the small inner core was disrupted by environmental changes, and Lenny weakened back to a poorly-organized Category 1.
Its inner core re-established itself on
November 16, and Lenny rapidly intensified to a 155 mph Category 4 hurricane over the northeastern Caribbean just before making landfall at
Saint Croix on the 17th. A ridge to the east and a ridge to the north forced the hurricane to drift over the
Windward Islands on the 17th through the 19th. Upwelling steadily weakened Lenny as it turned east-southeastward over
Saint Martin,
Anguilla,
Saint-Barthélemy, and
Antigua on
November 18 and
November 19. As it left the islands, upper level shear and cooler waters weakened Lenny, first to a tropical storm on
November 19, then a tropical depression in the open Atlantic on the 21st. It turned to the northeast, and dissipated on
November 23 in the open Atlantic.
An unusual storm
Lenny as a 135
mph hurricane
Hurricane Lenny (a.k.a. Wrong Way Lenny) was unusual in several respects. It traversed the
Caribbean from west to east, the reverse of typical hurricane paths. It was the first time such a trajectory had been seen in 113 years of hurricane observations in the Atlantic/Caribbean basin.
[1] The last hurricane to strike the western portion of the
Lesser Antilles was
Hurricane Klaus from the
1984 season.
[2]
Lenny's 155 mph (250 km/h) peak, just under Category 5 intensity on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, makes it the strongest November hurricane on record in the
Atlantic basin.
[3]
Lenny was also the fifth Category 4 hurricane of the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season, breaking the record for the number of storms of that strength in one season.
[1] This record was tied in the
2005 season.
Preparations
Lenny was forecast to move through the
Leeward Islands as a Category 3 hurricane, surprising islanders when it strengthened into a strong Category 4 hurricane. Hurricane warnings were issued for much of the Leeward Islands on
November 16, about a day prior to the storm passing through.
[1] In preparation for landfall, a
FEMA team was deployed to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, bringing 6,000 rolls of roofing-quality plastic sheeting, 112 generators, and 90,000 gallons of water. Medical teams were sent as well.
[6]
Impact
In all, 17 deaths were attributed to Hurricane Lenny. Its Category 4 winds caused widespread destruction across the northeastern Caribbean, amounting to $330 million (1999 USD, $387 million in 2006 USD) in damage to U.S. territories.
Colombia
Early in the hurricane's life, Lenny caused large waves and swells to the
Guajira Peninsula in
Colombia. Two sailors were killed when their yacht was lost in the southern
Caribbean Sea.
[1] On the coast, Lenny flooded 1,200 houses, leaving 540 people homeless. Moderate crop damage was seen as well.
[8]
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico, where Lenny was originally forecast to make landfall, was spared a direct hit.
[1] However, Lenny's outer rainbands caused heavy rainfall amounting to 14.64 inches in
Jayuya,
[10] causing mudslides in the southeastern portion of the island. More than 4,700 were in shelters, 80,000 lacked electricity, and 100,000 were without safe drinking water.
[11]
Leeward Islands
Hurricane Lenny first made landfall on
Saint Croix in the
Virgin Islands. The unprotected southwest side of the island suffered hours of heavy rain accumulating to 8 inches, 155 mph winds, intense waves, and a 15 foot storm surge. Strong winds and the rainfall impacted the agricultural sector, while many boats on the north side of the island either sank or washed ashore. Though damage was heavy, it was not extreme, and no deaths were reported.
[1]
Lenny later hit
Saint Martin,
Anguilla,
Saint-Barthélemy, and
Antigua while drifting through the Leeward Islands. Torrential rainfall was reported in these islands, with a maximum of 27.56 inches on St. Martin.
[1] The flooding led to mudslides, contributing to the destruction of numerous houses.
[14] Extensive storm surge, strong winds, and 12 foot waves caused significant beach erosion on their west coasts, the side rarely affected by a landfalling hurricane.
[1] The industries most affected by the hurricane were agriculture, fishing, and tourism.
[2]
Due to its large circulation, Lenny also affected
Guadeloupe,
Dominica,
St. Lucia,
St. Vincent, the
Grenadines,
Barbuda,
Martinique, and
Montserrat. 20 foot waves pounded the islands, resulting in damaged buildings. Heavy rain and strong winds contributed to 6 deaths among these islands.
[1] In Dominica, for example, hotels along the island's west coast experienced major damage, with 35% loss of the banana crop and 40% of coastal roads washed out. 95% of the crops in Barbuda were destroyed, while 65% of the island was flooded.
[2]
Aftermath
After the
Four Seasons resort on
Nevis was flooded and heavily damaged, the buildings were closed down for just over a year while a $50 million (1999 USD, $59 million
2006 USD) reconstruction went underway. A reopening occurred on
November 24,
2000, just over a year after Lenny's wrath.
[19] United States President Bill Clinton declared a
state of emergency for the
U.S. Virgin Islands in the aftermath of the storm, which made the island's residents eligible for federal
financial aid.
[20]
Retirement
The name 'Lenny' was retired in the spring of 2000 and will never again be used for an
Atlantic hurricane. The name was replaced with 'Lee' in the
2005 season.
See also
★
Tropical cyclone
★
List of notable Atlantic hurricanes
★
List of notable tropical cyclones
★
List of South America tropical cyclones
External links
★
National Hurricane Center Preliminary Report on Lenny
★
Hurricane Lenny's trajectory
★
Hydrometeorological Prediction Center Rainfall Report on Lenny
★
Lenny News Reports
★
Gary Padgett Tropical Cyclone Summary
Notes
1. NHC Lenny Report
2. November 1999 Tropical Summary
3. Hurricane/Typhoon Records
4. NHC Lenny Report
5. NHC Lenny Report
6. FEMA Deployment
7. NHC Lenny Report
8. Colombia News Report
9. NHC Lenny Report
10. Lenny Rainfall Totals
11. Caribbean News Report
12. NHC Lenny Report
13. NHC Lenny Report
14. Overall Caribbean Effects
15. NHC Lenny Report
16. November 1999 Tropical Summary
17. NHC Lenny Report
18. November 1999 Tropical Summary
19. http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WEATHER/08/22/storm.debby/
20. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/529257.stm
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