The two tropical depressions that did not develop were number 2 and 9, both originated in tropical waves. The second tropical depression of the season had its origin in the night of July 11 on the Atlantic east of the south group of the Lesser Antilles and in the afternoon of the 12 it no longer showed circulation on surface. The ninth depression was formed on the Caribbean, very near Puerto Cabezas, in the afternoon of September 19, weakening in the night over Nicaragua. The remainders of this depression, after leaving to the Oriental Pacific became storm Juliette on day 21.
The characteristics of each one of the organisms that reached at least the category of tropical storm are presented next:
ALLISON
June 5 - 7
The first tropical depression of the season formed within a tropical wave that arrived from the Northeastern Pacific and developed a tropical low south of Tehuantepec. This low moved with a heading in general to the north penetrating in the Gulf of Campeche and continued with the same direction, until in the morning of June 5 the images of the satellite indicated the presence of a tropical depression on the northwest of the Gulf of Mexico. In the first hours of the afternoon of that day, a reconnaissance aircraft reported a minimum central pressure of 1002 hPa and maximum winds of 95 km/h, which allowed to classify it as tropical storm Allison, located about 105 kilometers South-southwest of Galveston, Texas.
On Fig. 2 The sheared cloud pattern associated to Allison is presented minutes before the report of the aircraft. Here the center of the storm can be appreciated defined by lines of low clouds very close to the extensive band of convective cloudiness.
Figure 2 Tropical storm Allison. Visible Image from satellite GOES-8, June 5 of 2001 at 18:15 UTC.
The storm continued moving slowly to the north by the periphery of the subtropical anticyclonic ridge, with little variation in intensity, to make landfall on the state of Texas at the end of the afternoon of the 5 at a location west and near Galveston. In the dawn of the 6, near Houston it was degraded to tropical depression, which continued moving over Texas, where it weakened further on the day 7. Its remainders derived to the south and entered again on the northwest of the Gulf two days later. Here it structured again as a subtropical low, which moved over the states of the southeast of the United States. Upon leaving for the Atlantic coast it joined a front system finally dissipating over the southeast of New Scotland.
Allison produced strong rainfall and floods in the southeast portion of Texas, great part of Louisiana and the south of Mississippi. The damages caused by this storm were considerable, fundamentally in Texas, where 28 counties were declared as disaster area. Overall it caused 32 fatalities and economic damages of more than 5 billion dollars. Most fatalities occurred in Houston metropolitan area, where 662 mm of rain poured.
BARRY
August 2-6
The third tropical depression originated in the morning of August 2 within a strong tropical wave over the Gulf of Mexico, at about 300 kilometers Southwest of Tampa. In hours of the afternoon that day reports from a reconnaissance aircraft allowed to classify the system as tropical storm Barry. The storm was at that time in an atmosphere of high vertical shear and a cloud pattern characteristic of a hybrid system developed, since it interacted with an upper low and a baroclinic system that was on the north portion of the Gulf of Mexico and over the center of the Florida Peninsula.
Barry moved with little change in intensity in a direction close to the West-northwest until the morning of the 3 when it began to move drifting first slowly to the west and later to the northeast. From the night on the cloud pattern that accompanied it indicated a decrease of the vertical shear and it began to show more tropical characteristics, with an extensive and very defined circulation in the lower levels of the troposphere. The slow movement remained until the dawn of the 5, when it inclined its trajectory toward the north with gain in translation speed and intensity. It experienced a descent of pressure of 13 hPa in 6 hours and in the morning of the 5 the reconnaissance aircraft reported a minimum central pressure of 990 hPa and winds of about 110 km/h, very close to hurricane intensity. On Fig. 3 the band of intense convective cloudiness in the east semicircle of Barry can be observed at the moments of maximum intensity.
The storm continued moving toward the north to make landfall on the coasts of Florida in hours of the night of day 5 east and near Fort Walton Beach. Once on terrestrial areas it rotated its trajectory toward the North-northwest weakening quickly, so in the morning of the 6 it was classified as tropical depression, when it was over the state of Alabama. Barry finally dissipated over the North American territory after causing damages in Florida of about 30 million dollars.
Figure 3 Tropical storm Barry. Visible Image of satellite GOES-8, August 5 of 2001 at 13:02 UTC.
CHANTAL
August 15-22
The fourth tropical depression of the season was formed into a strong tropical wave in the morning of August 15, about 1800 kilometers east of the south group of the Lesser Antilles. The cloud pattern associated presented its main convection to the west of the center, while shear on the east inhibited the outflow in this semicircle. During the dawn of the 16 convection increased and it began to have a characteristic bands pattern, showing a good outflow, for what in the morning it was classified as a tropical storm.
In spite of maintaining a good look in the images of the satellite, a reconnaissance aircraft didn't find a closed circulation center on surface in the afternoon of the 16. At the end of that afternoon the surface data only indicated the existence of an extensive area of low pressure without a defined center, for what the system was degraded to tropical wave, while it was crossing the south group of the Lesser Antilles.
In the morning of the 17 an aircraft that recognized the area, found a small circulation center on surface and Chantal was classified as a tropical depression again. At that time a magnificent outflow and a better organized area of deep convection was observed in the images of the satellite. In hours of the afternoon it reached the category of Tropical Storm.
Since its origin Chantal moved quickly to the west, by the periphery of an anticiclonic ridge located in the mean levels to the north of the system. In the morning of the 18 it began to get into a highly sheared atmosphere, due to an upper troff on the western part of the Caribbean and its cloud pattern was distorted, showing a center of low clouds to the west of a convective band. In the night the shear from the Southwest weakened and a significant increase of convection took place, at the same time that translation speed diminished.
In its advance toward the west, Chantal continued gaining slowly in intensity and in the first hours of the dawn of the 19, when it was moving over the sea south of Jamaica, a reconnaissance aircraft reported a minimum pressure of 997 hPa, reaching its maximum descent here. The cloud pattern associated to Chantal in those moments is shown on Fig. 4. In the morning its translation speed increased, rotating the trajectory toward the West-northwest. It is interesting to highlight that a reconnaissance aircraft registered maximum winds of about 110 km/h in the morning at the same time that it observed multiple centers.
With a course between the west and the West-northwest and fluctuations in intensity, the tropical storm made landfall in Mexican territory in hours of the night of the day 20 by Ambergris Cay, going later in the dawn of the 21 over the border area between Belize and Mexico. During this day it moved in the same direction with loss in intensity over the Peninsula of Yucatan. In the dawn of the 22 it rotated abruptly to the Southwest and vanished in the morning over the southeast of Mexico.
Chantal caused economic damages in Belize estimated in about 15 million dollars and two fatalities were reported in Trinidad, when it went as a tropical wave over the Arch of the Antilles.
Figura 4 Tropical storm Chantal. IR Image of satellite GOES-8, August 19 2001 at 06:15 UTC.
DEAN
August 22-28
The fifth tropical depression had its origin in the morning of August 22 within a strong tropical wave, at about 190 kilometers East-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. In hours of the afternoon a reconnaissance aircraft reported winds of 65 knots in the flight level, what allowed classifying the system as Tropical Storm Dean.
The vicinity of an upper troff that imposed a strong shear and confluence in the upper levels of the troposphere motivated the weakening of Dean in the morning of the 23. During this part of its life it moved quickly in a direction between the West-northwest and the northwest by the periphery of the subtropical anticyclone of the Atlantic. Its remainders moved later toward the north, with subtropical appearance, until the morning of the day 25 when they inclined their trajectory toward the first quadrant.
In the dawn of the 27 the cloud pattern acquired tropical characteristics and the surface data indicated that Dean had intensified, for what it was classified again as a tropical storm. In the afternoon it reached a minimum pressure of 992 hPa and maximum winds of 110 km/h. On Fig. 5 it can be appreciated that at that time the area of clouds presented a pattern of bands that converged around a center. Then a weakening process took place as it gained latitude and Dean began to lose its tropical characteristics since the morning of the 28, over the Atlantic South-southeast and near Cape Race, Newfounfland.
Dean main damages were due to flooding in Puerto Rico, estimated in 2 million dollars.
Figure 5 Tropical storm Dean. Visible Image of satellite GOES-8, August 27 2001 at 18:45 UTC.
ERIN
September 1 - 14
The sixth tropical depression originated into a tropical wave on the Atlantic some 1500 kilometers east of the Lesser Antilles. This depression was classified as such in the afternoon of September the 1st attending to surface data and satellite images that showed deep convection with the characteristic bands pattern. In the dawn of the following day it reached the category of tropical storm as it moved in a direction between the west and the West-northwest. Erin, with slight gain in intensity and the same direction, got into an atmosphere of high shear, caused by the presence of an upper low located to the northwest. The shear of the Southwest was eroding the cloud pattern, which began to lose its configuration since the afternoon of the day 4 and in hours of the afternoon of the 5 it didn't show closed circulation, being downgraded to tropical wave.
In the afternoon of the 6 a reconnaissance aircraft found a circulation center again, more to the north, and the images of the satellite showed the system better organized, in form of bands, for what it was classified as a tropical depression. The translation over warm waters and the decrease of the shear motivated by the weakening of the upper low that was then to the west of the system, favored the escalation. In the afternoon of the day 7 it reached the category of tropical storm, while it headed in a direction between the northwest and North-northwest.
Erin continued gaining in organization and intensity, becoming the first hurricane of the season in the afternoon of the 8. The following day in the afternoon, when it passed east and near Bermuda, it was already a hurricane of category 3. The aircraft that recognized the area reported a minimum pressure of 968 hPa and maximum winds of about 195 km/h. In this case, the central pressure prevails over the one that would match with the intensity of the reported winds. On Fig. 6 the cloud pattern associated to Erin in those moments of maximum intensity is shown.
Figure 6 Hurricane Erin. Visible Image of satellite GOES-8, September 9 2001 at 20:45 UTC.
As a hurricane of category 3 it remained until the afternoon of the 10. In the dawn of the following day it inclined its direction to the northeast and later to the east until the dawn of the 13, when it recaptured the northeast heading. As Erin gained in latitude it was gradually diminishing its intensity and losing its tropical characteristics, finally becoming an extratropical low in the night of the day 14, very close to Key Race, Newfoundland.
FELIX
September 7 - 18
The seventh tropical depression had its origin in a tropical wave on September 7 in hours of the afternoon at about 800 kilometers West-southwest of the islands of Cabo Verde. The depression moved to the west with little change in intensity, until in the morning of the following day it began to weaken and already in hours of the afternoon it didn't show signs of circulation on the satellite images, for what it downgraded to the state of tropical wave. The weakening was caused by the presence of three tropical waves in the Eastern Atlantic that interfered the influence of each other.
The wave continued its travel toward the west and it gained again in organization, reaching the category of depression in the dawn of the day 10, when it was on the Central Atlantic. The system began a movement toward the fourth quadrant and it was classified in the morning of the 11as tropical storm Felix. Since the night of that day, Felix rotated the trajectory to the north, at the same time that its escalation process continued, becoming a hurricane in the night of the 12. In the morning of the 13 it headed toward the northeast and ended up being a hurricane of category 3 in the afternoon, with maximum winds of the order of 185 km/h and a minimum central pressure of 965 hPa. At that time the cloud pattern associated to the system showed a very defined eye with deep convection in its surroundings, as can be appreciated on Fig. 7.
Felix began to weaken gradually since the morning of the 14 and in the afternoon it inclined its trajectory between the East-northeast and the east due to the influence of an upper low. The hurricane followed a course more to the northeast in the night of the 15, going into in an atmosphere of high shear that eroded it. The 16 in the night the translation speed diminished remaining almost stationary Southwest of the Azores Islands, where it was degraded to tropical storm in the morning of the 17 and to depression in the afternoon of the 18. In the night of that last day it showed only as an extensive circulation of low clouds.
Figure 7 hurricane Felix. IR Image of satellite GOES-8, September 13 2001 at 20:45 UTC.
GABRIELLE
September 11 - 18
The eighth tropical depression of the season was formed in an area of low pressures at about 135 kilometers West-northwest of Key West. In hours of the afternoon of September 11 the surface data indicated the presence of a closed circulation in the southeast of the Gulf of Mexico that allowed the system to classify as a depression, although the convection associated didn't show great curvature. With erratic movement and little change in intensity the storm remained until the following day. In the dawn of the 13 it began to show a better organized cloud pattern and in the morning it was classified as tropical storm Gabrielle.
In the dawn of the 14 it increased the translation speed and began a movement to the northeast, at the same time that it gained something more in intensity. An aircraft that recognized the area reported a minimum pressure of 980 hPa and maximum winds of the order of 110 km/h. With that intensity it made landfall on the costs of Florida, in a point near to Venice, in the early hours of the morning. Gabrielle crossed the Florida peninsula to leave again to the sea, more weakened, in the dawn of the 15 near Daytona Beach.
The storm continued moving over the Atlantic with a general course to the northeast, gaining organization and intensity, to become hurricane in the night of the 16. In the morning of the 17 it reached its maximum intensity winds of 130 km/h and a minimum central pressure of 983 hPa. In hours of the night a strong shear of the Southwest influenced on this meteorological system, weakening it to the category of tropical storm. Gabrielle became an extratropical system in the night of the 18 when it was over the Atlantic, near New Scotland.
It is of interest to point out that Gabrielle during all its evolutionary process didn't show typical characteristic of a tropical hurricane and Fig. 8 is an example of it. Here a cloud pattern is observed rather characteristic of a subtropical hurricane, with the south semicircle surrounded by dry air. This image corresponds with the report of the maximum intensity of the winds.
Gabrielle produced abundant rainfall in Cuba, mainly in the western part, during the days 13, 14 and 15.
Figure 8 Hurricane Gabrielle. Visible Image of satellite GOES-8, September 17 2001 11:32 UTC.
Gabrielle produced abundant rainfall in Cuba, mainly in the West part during days 13, 14 and 15.
At the West-center of Florida and the low lands of river St. John great floods occurred, the wind caused damages on roofs, mobile homes and trees, with an estimate of 230 million loss, however, additional information on flood damages is still pending.
HUMBERTO
September 21 - 27
The tenth tropical depression had its origin on the morning of September 21 in an area of low pressure at about 840 kilometers to the south of Bermuda islands. The depression, although the cloud pattern associated showed very organized in bands, remained with little change in intensity until the afternoon of the 22 when it was classified as tropical storm Humberto, according to data reported by a reconnaissance aircraft.
Humberto moved since its origin with a component in general to the North-northwest, for the west periphery of the mid levels subtropical ridge. From the morning of the 23 it turned its trajectory to the North-northeast and its escalation process continued, reaching the hurricane category in hours of the afternoon, while it passed west and somewhat near Bermuda islands. In the night of that day it became a hurricane of category 2. It began to weaken gradually and continued moving for the periphery of the subtropical ridge inclining the trajectory in the morning of the 24 more to the northeast. As a hurricane of minimum intensity it remained since the night of the 24 until that of the 25. Then it began to intensify again and reached its maximum intensity in the morning of the day 26, when its central pressure descended to 970 hPa and the winds were of the order of 165 km/h, returning to category 2. On Fig. 9 the cloud pattern associated to Humberto can be appreciated that morning, which showed a very defined eye immerse in an area of deep convection.
Figure 9 Hurricane Humberto. Visible image of satellite GOES-8, September 26 2001 13:45 UTC.
Since the afternoon of the 26 it inclined the trajectory toward the east and began a process of quick weakening, losing the hurricane category in the dawn of the 27 and the tropical characteristics in the afternoon, when it was southeast and somewhat distant of Cape Race, Newfoundland.
IRIS
October 4 - 9
The eleventh tropical depression had its origin in the morning of October 4 within a tropical wave some 170 kilometers East-southeast of Barbados. Next morning it reached the category of tropical storm, and was named Iris. The storm, moving with a component in general to the West-northwest, continued gaining organization and intensity and in the afternoon of the day 6 it reached the hurricane intensity. Since that afternoon on it inclined its direction more to the west going by the sea south and near Jamaica in the morning of the 7th. While moving over water with high heat content a quick 38 hPa descent of the central pressure took place in 12 hours (day 8, 0000 - 1200 UTC) that took it to become a hurricane of category 4 in the morning of the 8th. That day it had a minimum pressure of 948 hPa and maximum winds of 230 km/h, intensity under which it made landfall in Belize by a point near Monkey River in the night. When crossing over the mountainous territory of Guatemala and the east of Mexico it weakened quickly, being degraded in the dawn of the 9th to the category of tropical storm and in the morning to depression.
An anticiclonic ridge that was very well defined in the mean levels dragged Iris during all its life and it characterized by being a hurricane of small diameter. When the area of hurricane force winds made landfall it extended until some 30 kilometers from the center. On Fig. 10 the small eye of the hurricane absorbed in the area of dense convective cloudiness can be observed, hours before entering in Belize.
Figure 10 Hurricane Iris. Visible Image of satellite GOES-8, October 8 2001 22:02 UTC.
As the central nucleus of Iris was small, the main damage was confined to an area about 110 km wide on the South portion of Belize. The total amount of confirmed fatalities was of 20, from the sail ship M/V Wave Dancer. Some papers reported up to 50 fatalities. Rains over Guatemala caused at least 8 deaths, while there were three at Dominican Republic. The total amount of victims from Iris is 33, but the real figure is probably higher. The goverment of Belize reported losses of 66.2 million dollars.
JERRY
October 6 - 8
Tropical depression number 12 was formed in the morning of October 6 within a tropical wave about 1125 kilometers east of Tobago. In hours of the night it was classified as a tropical storm, since the cloud pattern associated showed the presence of deep convection in the center on the low levels and a good outflow mechanism in the upper troposphere. On Fig. 11 the area of clouds that accompanied the storm in the early hours of day 7 are shown. Jerry reached the maximum intensity that day, with a minimum pressure of 1003 hPa and maximum winds of 85 km/h.
Since its origin the storm moved in a direction close to the west, but in hours of the afternoon of the 7th data reported by surface stations and from a reconnaissance aircraft suggested the development of a center more to the north of the area of clouds, which later crossed to the north and very near the island of San Vicente in the early hours of the 8th. In that dawn a reconnaissance aircraft found an extensive circulation, with several vortexes in it. The images of the satellite also showed a great circulation of low clouds, with the center moving away from the main convection, what indicated the weakening of the system. Jerry degenerated in an area of low pressure in the afternoon of the 8, when it was over the Eastern Caribbean.
Figure 11 Tropical storm Jerry. IR Image of satellite GOES-8, October 7 2001 09:15 UTC.
KAREN
October 12 - 15
The first subtropical storm of the season that had its origin in an extratropical low was classified in hours of the afternoon of October 12, located about 320 kilometers north of Bermuda. The storm continued acquiring tropical characteristics and in the dawn of the 13 it was named Karen. With movement toward high latitudes, this meteorological system was increasing the intensity and in the afternoon of that same day it reached the hurricane category, according to the accompanying cloud pattern's morphology.
Karen reached the maximum intensity in the dawn of the 14, with wind speed of the order of 130 km/h and a minimum central pressure of 982 hPa. On Fig. 12 the small area of clouds associated to this hurricane in the moment of its greatest intensity can be observed. Since the morning the weakening process began, falling to the category of tropical storm in the afternoon. As it moved to the north, over colder and colder water, it was losing its tropical characteristics, becoming an extratropical low in the morning of the day 15 on New Scotland, northwest and near Halifax.
Figure 12 Hurricane Karen. IR Image of satellite GOES-8, October 14 2001 08:45 UTC.
LORENZO
October 27 - 31
Lorenzo was product of a process of transition of a low pressure area of non tropical characteristics. In the morning of October 27 tropical depression number 14 was classified, located about 1450 kilometers Southwest of Santa María in the Azores, although it didn't completely present tropical characteristics due to the presence of an upper low to the south. The depression moved to the west and remained with little change in intensity until the night of the 29, when it inclined its trajectory to the northwest and was classified as tropical storm as a small area of deep convection developed in the circulation center on surface, that was exposed. On Fig. 13 the cloud pattern associated to Lorenzo is presented in the moment of its classification as tropical storm.
In the dawn of the 30 it went north and in the morning it showed again its circulation center in low levels to the northeast of the small area of deep convection. In the afternoon it inclined its heading for the North-northeast due to the approximation of a front area, to which it began to unite in the dawn of the 31, when it was about 1300 kilometers west of Lajes in the Azores.
Lorenzo was the tropical storm of shortest duration and the weakest in the season, with a minimum central pressure of 1007 hPa and maximum winds of 65 km/h.
Figure 13 Tropical storm Lorenzo. IR Image of satellite GOES-8, October 30 2001 02:45 UTC.
MICHELLE
October 29 - November 6
Tropical depression number 15 was formed from a tropical wave in the afternoon of October 29 about 120 kilometers south of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. During this initial stage of the development it remained with very slow movement, almost to the north, on the northeast of Nicaragua, causing torrential rains with floods on this region and the east of Honduras, what resulted in the death of 12 people in Nicaragua and four in Honduras. In the afternoon of the 31st it came out to the sea and was classified as tropical storm Michelle early in the night.
During the first day of November in the morning Michelle gained lightly in intensity and in the 2nd it reached the hurricane condition. From that moment on it intensified quickly until reaching in the morning of the day 3 the category 4. In hours of the afternoon that day a reconnaissance aircraft reported a minimum pressure of 933 hPa, while the maximum wind was of about 220 km/h. On Fig. 14 the excellent structure of the cloud pattern associated to Michelle in the moment of maximum intensity is shown.
Figure 14 Hurricane Michelle. Visible Image of satellite GOES-8, November 3 2001 19:25 UTC.
Until then the hurricane had remained with movement close to the north, very slowly and with several periods of stagnation, due to the absence of a gidding jet. Since that day it fell under the influence of the front border of an upper wave that had a cold front associated in the continent, and with guideline flow from the Southwest, so it moved to the northeast, at the beginning also very slowly, approaching gradually to Cuba. In the night of the day 3 the currents of the Southwest at a height of 8 to 10 kilometers increased the shear in the area and they caused a slight disorganization of the circulation, maintaining, however, the category of great intensity. At the end of the dawn of the day 4 the translation speed increased in its course to the northeast, with values between 16 and 20 km/h.
On Fig. 15 a segment of Michelle trajectory while passing over the Cuban archipelago is shown. In this figure it can be appreciated that the nearest approach to the Island of Youth occurred at noon, when the center of the hurricane was at about 80 kilometers East-southeast of Punta del Este. It had sustained maximum winds in its center of 220 km/h and a central pressure of 949 hPa (reported by a reconnaissance aircraft at 17:18 UCT). It crossed to the west and close to Cayo Largo del Sur sometime after 19:00 UTC, with the same intensity. A maximum gust of 250 km/h was registered by a ship that was in a channel west of the Key and a minimum pressure of 949.7 hPa was recorded at the airport.
Figure 15 Trajectory of Michelle over the Cuban archipelago. The hours are referred to the meridian 75º W of Greenwich.
Its landfall on the Island of Cuba occurred approximately at 6 in the afternoon (23:00 UCT) by the southeast of the province of Matanzas, as it crossed Bay of Pigs, between Playa Larga and Playa Girón, with maximum wind of 210 km/h.. Then, it carried out a slight inflection in its trajectory to the east-northeast, which took it to cross over Rodas in Cienfuegos diminishing something its force. At 10 o’clock in the evening (03:00 UTC, day 5) its center was in the vicinities of Lajas, near the limit between Cienfuegos and Villa Clara. The maximum winds were then of 175 km/h, which correspond with the superior limit of Category 2. It recaptured its northeast direction and moved over the territory of Villa Clara, crossing next to Cifuentes. It left to the sea at about 1:00 in the morning (06:00 UTC) of day 5, more weakened with sustained maximum winds of 150 km/h (superior limit of Category 1), for Key Isidoro, municipality of Encrucijada, Villa Clara, having crossed the coast a short time before by a point to the east and not far from Sagua la Grande, Villa Clara. The average speed for the crossing of the Cuban territory was of 25 km/h.
One of the factors that influenced in Michelle's weakening over Cuba, in addition to the influence of the strong winds from the Southwest in the mean levels and the interaction of the circulation with the mountains of El Escambray, it is to have begun an extratropicalization process on the night of the day 4.
The loss of the tropical characteristics over Cuba is reflected fundamentally in the distribution of the winds and the areas of rainfall that were stronger in the left sector of the hurricane. Chart 5 shows the values of sustained maximum winds (estimated) and of gusts registered at some Cuban stations after Michelle's pass and the greatest accumulates (more than 125 mm) of rainfall in 24 hours on Cuba are presented on Chart 5. On Fig. 16 the areas of cloud and rains associated to the hurricane in the moment the wall of the eye influenced the south of Matanzas are reflected.
Michelle was an extensive hurricane with an eye of about 40 kilometers, for what all along its trajectory the area of calm and sustained maximum winds extended approximately to 20 kilometers to both sides of the center. The vorticial calm, could be observed for one hour at Playa Girón, from 4:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon (21:30-22:30 UTC), from 7:45 to 8:45 (00:45-01:45 UTC day 5) at Aguada de Pasajeros while in Santo Domingo, Villa Clara, it was observed from 10:50 to 11:00 (03:50-04:00 UTC day 5) and at Sagua la Grande, in the same county, occurred between 11:20 and 11:45 in the evening of day 4 (04:20-04:45 UTC day 5). It is interesting to highlight that in Rodas, Cienfuegos, where the vortex passed, the neighbors and amateur meteorologists informed of a luminous phenomenon inside the eye, as “candle balls” floating in the dark night sky, something that has only been observed in hurricanes of great intensity.
| Chart 5. Sustained maximum winds (estimated) in km/h (average for one minute) and maximum gusts registered in some Cuban stations at Michelle's pass November 4 2001. |
|
No. Station |
Town |
Sustained maximum wind (km/h) |
Registered maximum gust (km/h) |
|
78325 |
Casa Blanca |
130 |
134 |
|
78373 |
Stgo. de Las Vegas |
105 |
138 |
|
78340 |
Bainoa |
105 |
140 |
|
78374 |
Tapaste |
80 |
120 |
|
78323 |
Güines |
95 |
118 |
|
78324 |
Punta del Este |
150 |
160 |
|
78309 |
Cuba - Francia |
115 |
132 |
|
78331 |
Jagüey Grande |
155 |
210 |
|
78333 |
Playa Girón |
115 |
194 |
|
78328 |
Varadero |
100 |
151 |
|
78327 |
Unión de Reyes |
100 |
150 |
|
78332 |
Colón |
80 |
147 |
|
78344 |
Cienfuegos |
140 |
168 |
|
78335 |
Aguada de Pasajeros |
140* |
176* |
|
78338 |
Sagua la Grande |
110 |
150 |
|
78326 |
Santo Domingo |
135 |
157 |
|
78343 |
Santa Clara |
130 |
136 |
|
78349 |
Sancti Spíritus |
105 |
120 |
|
78337 |
Trinidad |
80 |
118 |
|
78342 |
Topes de Collantes |
115 |
120 |
(* ) Registration belongs to the first strike of the hurricane, later the register device was pulled up of its base by the intensity of the winds.
| Chart 6. Greatest accumulates of rainfall registered in 24 hours at Michelle's pass over Cuba. |
|
Town and Province |
Day |
mm / 24 hours |
|
Punta del Este, Island of Youth |
3 |
161.4 |
|
CAI Héctor Molina, Havana |
4 |
135.6 |
|
Los Palos, Havana |
4 |
167.6 |
|
Arroyo Arenas, Havana City |
4 |
236.3 |
|
Punta del Este, Island of Youth |
4 |
139.0 |
|
Unión de Reyes, Matanzas |
4 |
193.0 |
|
Jovellanos, Matanzas |
4 |
164.8 |
|
Jagüey Grande, Matanzas |
4 |
234.3 |
|
Playa Girón, Matanzas |
4 |
129.5 |
|
Iguara, Sancti Spíritus |
4 |
131.0 |
|
Topes de Collantes, Sancti Spíritus |
4 |
193.0 |
|
Guasimal, Sancti Spíritus |
4 |
128.0 |
|
Marroquí, Ciego de Avila |
4 |
164.5 |
Michelle also caused coastal floods in several areas of the country. In the night of November 3, the strong surges generated by it produced waves from four to five meters high in the south coast of the Youth's Island. Since morning of the day 4 and when crossing for the west and very near Cayo Largo del Sur, the sea rose one meter above the landing strip of the airport. When the center made landfall at Bay of Pigs, more to the east, in the area of Punta Castaño, Cienfuegos, the sea reached heights above three meters. Between 9 and 10 in the evening, once the winds of the Southwest were implanted with gusts above 100 km/h, the whole area of the mole of Cienfuegos was affected, great parts of it being lifted and thrown to the floor. Coastal floods took place in Reina, O´Bourke and Laredo neighborhoods. In the Priest's Lagoon and in the Bay of Cienfuegos the mean level of the sea increased in 1.5 meters, taking as reference the Real and GeoCuba jetties, in Cayo Loco. In Ciego de Avila the strong winds of south region caused coastal floods due to penetrations of the sea in the town of Júcaro, where the level of the sea ascended one meter and the water moved up to 400 - 500 meters from the coastal line.
When the wind turned from the north to the northeast, the sea penetrated until one kilometer of the coast in the city of Cárdenas and in the Havanan counties the persistence of it with speed above 100 km/h for a period of some 12 hours, produced coastal floods with penetration of the sea in the Havana Mole. Due to the direction that the wind took, the affected tracts were those that have an inclination of the coast from the northwest to the southeast. The waves of four to five meters high generated by these winds flooded from la Puntilla until G street, standing out as affected area the area of the Maceo Park and G street, where the water penetrated almost until the Linea street.
On the other hand, when the winds blowed from the earth toward the sea, water retired 300 meters in Beach Cajío and 500 meters in Batabanó, both in the south coast of the county of Havana. In Batabanó, the pier of the Kometa ship, three meters high, was completely dry.
After leaving Cuba Michelle hurried even more its traslation, crossing in the morning of the 5 through the Bahamas. It continued losing its tropical characteristics, incorporating a through that caused intense rainfall in Guantánamo this day, with accumulates of 110 mm in 24 hours in Filipino and Jamal and 117 mm in Caujerí. In the night of the 5 it didn't show deep convection near the center and with movement toward the first quadrant on the Atlantic it extratropicalized, to the south and near Bermuda Islands in the afternoon of the day 6.
(a)
(b)
Figure 16 Areas of rainfall of hurricane Michelle captured by the meteorological radar of Casablanca (a) and Visible image of satellite GOES-8 (b) of November 4 2001 19:45 UTC.
Michelle's influence reached 45% of the Cuban territory where 53% of the population lives, that is to say, some 5.8 million people. The cyclone circulation of its winds reached about 500 kilometers of diameter and it covered from the oriental portion of Pinar del Río until the county of Ciego de Ávila, including the Island of Youth and nearby keys.
The effective, enough in advance forecast and warnings and the information given to the population on television and radio by the meteorologists from the Center of Forecast of the INSMET, contributed to make human life losses minimum in this intense hurricane, which left in Cuba a balance of only five fatalities, fundamentally due to imprudence. However, there were severe damages to housing and considerable economic losses that ascended in total to 1 866 million dollars. There were 166 515 houses damaged, 12 579 of them totally.
The most affected service to the population was the electric power. 5 761 electric posts fell; there were 627 transformers damaged and 125 towers of 220 kV lines collapsed. Severe damages also occurred in communications:
5 987 posts received affectations and 14 828 telephones were off. 9 television support towers and other media were demolished.
54% of the area of sugar cane that would be cut in the harvest 2001-2002 was affected, with an impact on the exportation estimated in 400 000 tons of sugar and a value of 60 million dollars. There were also affected 420 000 tons of citric, although it was possible to recover 22 000. As consequence it was considered that exportation would be reduced in 27 million dollars, diminishing also the internal consumption of citric. The plantations of bananas were severely affected, as well as several crops. Due to the lash of the strong winds 325 cultivation houses, 76 watering machines and 2 573 houses of tobacco suffered affectations, 394 poultry farms were completely destroyed and 423 in a partial way. The cost of the reinstatement of the affected agricultural areas is of 317 million dollars, while the loss in the agricultural production caused by the hurricane reached 260 million dollars. The losses of the production in other branches of the economy caused by lack of electricity, floods and other situations were calculated in 133 million dollars.
The total cost of the recovery will be of 785 million dollars. It is a purpose of the Country to repair everything in the term of this year 2002. In the affected area new housings are been built quickly to restore those demolished. All the services were reestablished in record time, although in some cases it has been with temporary solutions.
The affectations to the infrastructure of the Meteorological Service of Cuba ascended to 212 500 dollars.
There was a total of 17 fatalities associated with hurricane Michelle along its trajectory and nearby areas: 6 in Honduras, 4 in Nicaragua, 5 in Cuba, and 2 in Jamaica. The deaths in Honduras, Nicaragua and Jamaica were due to the floods associated to Michelle. They were also reported 26 missing people in Central America: 14 in Honduras and 12 in Nicaragua. The floods in Central America forced more than 100,000 people to abandon their houses.
NOEL
November 5-6
Noel was product of a process of transition of a hurricane of non tropical characteristic that on November 5 in the morning was classified as the eighth hurricane of the season, located about 950 kilometers to the South-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. In the images of the satellite the area of deep convection was limited to the East semicircle (see Fig. 17) and the cloud pattern was not typical of a tropical organism. Since the afternoon a strong western shear began weakening it and in the night it was degraded to tropical storm. Meanwhile, it quickly lost its tropical characteristics, to become an extratropical hurricane in the morning of the 6, on the Atlantic, to the southeast and near Newfoundland.
This hurricane of ephemeral life, had maximum winds of 120 km/h and a minimum central pressure of 986 hPa.
Figure 17 Hurricane Noel. Vis. Image of satellite GOES-8, November 5 2001 17:45 UTC.
OLGA
November 24- December 4
In hours of the afternoon of November 24 the second subtropical storm of the season was classified, located about 1460 kilometers to the east of Bermuda Islands. During this day the storm went in a direction close to the northwest, inclined its trajectory toward the west and later to the Southwest the day 25. The typical cloud pattern of a hybrid system began to show tropical characteristics on this day and in the morning of the 26 it was classified as tropical storm Olga, as a small convective area became present around the center. Olga was inside an extensive field of winds with subtropical characteristics. In the afternoon it reached the hurricane category, when an eye was apparent, which was absorbed in a small area of dense clouds. During this day it moved toward the North-northwest and in the dawn of the 27 it began to describe a cyclone knot in its trajectory that was completed at noon. That movement was due fundamentally to the interaction with a vorticial center to the east of the system. In the afternoon it reached its maximum intensification with a minimum pressure of 973 hPa and maximum winds of the order of 150 km/h. In Fig. 18 hurricane Olga in the moment of maximum intensity can be appreciated.
During the rest of the 27 it moved slowly almost to the north and since the dawn of the 28 it went toward the Southwest beginning a weakening process that took it to be degraded to the category of tropical storm in the dawn of the 29 and to tropical depression in the morning of the 30. With little change in intensity and same direction it stayed until the dawn of the December the first, when it stationed to the north and near the Dominican Republic. Since the afternoon of that day it began to move toward the North-northeast and to gain organization and intensity, being classified again in the night as a tropical storm. It intensified further in the morning of the day 2, while the cloud pattern showed as a subtropical hurricane. In the morning of the 3 it inclined its trajectory toward the east and continued the weakening process initiated in the previous night. It was degraded to tropical depression in the night and the following day it was only a vortex of low clouds at about 1050 kilometers east of Nassau. The remainders went later to the West-southwest and they influenced the day 6 on the western half of Cuba, with showers activity.
Figure 18 Hurricane Olga. Vis. Image of satellite GOES-8, November 27 2001 17:45 UTC.
