Storms of 1998

The 1998 hurricane season was one of the deadliest in history. It was a very active season with 14 named tropical cyclones of which 10 became hurricanes. There were three major hurricanes that were categories three, four, and five on the Saffir-Simpson scale. There were an estimated 11,629 deaths due to hurricanes. 11,000 of these deaths were due to Hurricane Mitch in Central America. Also of note, on September 25, there were four Atlantic hurricanes observed in progress at once.

Bonnie | Danielle | Earl | Georges | Ivan | Jeanne | Karl | Lisa | Mitch |

Hurricane Bonnie originated from a tropical wave near Dakar, Senegal, on August 14. Low-level cyclonic circulation was detected by satellite imagery. The circulation was steered by high pressure over warmer waters and convection was formed. This storm was a tropical depression by August 19 and a tropical storm by August 20. Bonnie moved to the west-northwest towards and brushed the Leeward Islands. On August 22, Bonnie was upgraded to a hurricane while located about 370 kilometres north of Hispaniola. While 275 kilometres east of San Salvador, Bahamas, Bonnie reached its maximum winds of 185 kilometres per hour (100 knots) and its minimum pressure of 954 millibars.

The hurricane then moved to the northwest towards the coast of North Carolina with winds of 185 kilometres per hour. It made landfall near Wilmington on August 27 as a Category 2/3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Bonnie then fell under the influence of the mid-latitude upper level westerlies and turned towards the northeast entering the CHC’s Response Zone during the afternoon of August 28. At that time, Bonnie was downgraded to a tropical storm. Thereafter, Bonnie tracked east/northeastward, entering the CHC’s Area of Responsibility during the afternoon of August 29. During the next 24 to 36 hours, the centre of the storm passed about 222 kilometres southeast of Nova Scotia and 185 kilometres south of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

Most of the damage from Hurricane Bonnie was to farms and some of the worst damage was to tobacco fields. In the Virginia Beach area, Hurricane Bonnie knocked out power to 300,000 homes. There were three deaths as a consequence of Hurricane Bonnie. Two were drowning related deaths and one was due to a falling tree. Along the coast of Nova Scotia, rainfall amounts were 15 to 25 millimetres. Maximum wind speeds were 56 to 74 kilometres per hour (30 to 40 knots) with gusts of 74 to 93 kilometres per hour (40 to 50 knots). Over the Cape Breton Highlands of Nova Scotia, a gust of 102 kilometres per hour (55 knots) was reported. Offshore, a maximum wind speed of 93 kilometres per hour (50 knots) with a gust to 115 kilometres per hour (62 knots) was recorded at the West Scotian Slope buoy. At Sable Island, closer to Bonnie’s track, 33 millimetres of rain were reported. The highest significant wave height was 10.8 metres at the East Scotian Slope buoy. A maximum wave height of 17.9 metres was recorded at the Laurentian Fan buoy. Reports throughout the area suggested a minimum sea level pressure of about 987 millibars.

As Bonnie passed south of Newfoundland, its minimum central pressure had risen to about 995 millibars. The effects on land were minimal as most of the precipitation and strong winds remained just off the southeast coast of the Avalon Peninsula. Offshore, a maximum wind speed of 74 kilometres per hour (40 knots) with gusts of 100 kilometres per hour (54 knots) was recorded at the Southwestern Grand Banks buoy. The maximum significant wave height from the same buoy was 14.4 metres.

Hurricane Danielle originated from a tropical wave off the west coast of Africa on August 21. Cyclonic cloud rotation and deep convection were formed within 24 hours. By August 24, a tropical storm formed about 1100 kilometres to the west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. By August 25, satellite pictures showed a "pinhole" eye and the system became a hurricane. On August 27, Danielle reached its peak intensity with winds of 165 kilometres per hour (90 knots) when it was 1670 kilometres east of the Leeward Islands. Danielle had a surprisingly high central pressure of 993 millibars. By August 30, Danielle’s strength had significantly diminished and it was barely of hurricane strength. For the next six days, Danielle moved toward the west-northwest at 33 to 37 kilometres per hour (18 to 20 knots) while continuing to decelerate. Moving northeastward, well off the North American seaboard, Hurricane Danielle entered the CHC’s Response Zone during the morning of September 3. Thereafter, Danielle continued northeastward, with its centre passing about 555 kilometres southeast of Nova Scotia, before turning east/northeastward passing about 278 kilometres south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Hurricane Danielle was analyzed as Post-Tropical during the evening of September 3 and moved out of the CHC Area of Responsibility during the morning of September 4.

The effects of Danielle on the mainland of Nova Scotia were minimal. No inland warnings or advisories were issued for the Maritime provinces. The track of Danielle brought the storm almost directly over the Laurentian Fan buoy where a maximum wind speed of 104 kilometres per hour (56 knots) with a gust to 142 kilometres per hour (77 knots) was recorded. Maximum wave heights due to Danielle were reported 26.9 metres by the Laurentian Fan buoy. These maximum waves grew 16 metres in one hour as a "wall of waves" showed up at the buoy in the early morning hours of September 3.

As Danielle passed south of Newfoundland, a maximum offshore wind speed of 85 kilometres per hour (46 knots) with a gust to 115 kilometres per hour (62 knots) was recorded at the Southwest Grand Banks buoy. Also, a maximum wind speed of 93 kilometres per hour (50 knots) was reported at the Hibernia drilling site located about 167 kilometres north of the storm’s track. A rainfall advisory was issued by the NWC for both the Avalon and Burin Peninsulas of Newfoundland. Rainfall amounts, however, for the most affected area (extreme southeastern portion of the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland), are unavailable.

There were no reports of casualties as a result of Hurricane Danielle. On September 6, Danielle hit Great Britain as an extratropical storm. Several people were rescued from the rough seas and some beach areas had to be evacuated.

On August 17, Hurricane Earl originated from a tropical wave off of the west coast of Africa. Aircraft reconnaissance reported weak surface cyclonic circulation as the system passed through the Lesser Antilles on August 23. The system was inhibited by the upper-level outflow from the large Hurricane Bonnie that was located over the southwest North Atlantic. Nevertheless, the tropical wave continued throughout the Gulf of Mexico and became a tropical depression between Merida and Tampico, Mexico on August 31. The storm became Tropical Storm Earl while it was 930 kilometres south-southwest of New Orleans and reached hurricane status on September 2 when it was 230 kilometres south-southwest of New Orleans. Maximum winds of 189 kilometres per hour (102 knots) and minimum pressure of 850 millibars were measured. Earl reached landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near Panama City, Florida on September 3. The strongest winds felt on land of 148 kilometres per hour (80 knots) were to the east and southeast of the centre in the Big Bend area of Florida but there were no reports of sustained hurricane force winds. The storm weakened quickly and became extratropical on September 3 while moving toward Georgia. By September 6, Earl had crossed over Newfoundland and by September 8 it was absorbed by a larger extratropical cyclone (formerly Hurricane Danielle).

Hurricane Earl contributed to storm surge of near 2.5 metres in four Florida counties. Along the Gulf Coast, the hurricane flattened trees and utility poles, lifted roofs, and knocked out power to tens thousands in Florida and Alabama. Panama City, Florida received 41 centimetres of rain and several tornadoes were reported in central and north Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Hurricane Earl was responsible for three deaths. Two deaths were by drowning and one was as a result of a tornado. Total US damage is estimated at $79 million (US).

After September 20, Hurricane Georges began to weaken possibly due to an upper-level anticyclone over the eastern Caribbean. Georges made landfall in Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Puerto Rico with maximum surface winds of 185 kilometres per hour (100 knots) on September 21. Georges then weakened as it moved slowly across the mountains in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, producing flash floods and mud slides. On September 23, Georges made landfall in Cuba near Guantanamo Bay and moved out over water on September 24. Georges re-intensified over water and made landfall once again in Key West, Florida, on September 25. The storm then turned to the northwest and slowed down due to an anticyclone north of the hurricane. Between September 28 and 30, Georges made landfall near southern Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama, and southeast Georgia. During this time, the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm. On October 1, the system dissipated and merged with a frontal zone.

Hurricane Georges was directly responsible for 602 deaths. Most of these deaths occurred in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, due to flash flooding and mud slides in high terrain regions. The total estimated damage from hurricane Georges is $5.9 billion (US). 167,000 and 185,000 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic (respectively) were left homeless by Hurricane Georges. In Puerto Rico, it is estimated that 95% of the plantain and 75% of the banana crop were destroyed by the storm.

Ivan developed from a wave over western Africa on September 14 and passed into the Atlantic on September 14. It is estimated that the system became a tropical storm on September 19 while about 325 kilometres to the southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. Ivan’s track was generally northwestward at 19 to 28 kilometres per hour (10 to 15 knots) from September 20 to 25. Ivan became a tropical storm on September 20 and a hurricane on September 25. On September 26, Ivan reached peak intensity of 148 kilometres per hour (80 knots) while located 555 kilometres to the west of the Azores Islands. When Ivan reached the cooler waters on September 27, it became a weakening extratropical storm.

Hurricane Jeanne formed from a tropical wave off of western Africa. By September 21, deep convection had increased and a tropical depression formed while 260 kilometres southwest of Guinea-Bissau. According to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami, Florida, only Tropical Storm Christine of 1973 formed farther east than Jeanne in the Atlantic basin. Jeanne developed into a tropical storm on September 21 and developed into a hurricane on September 22 while 220 kilometres southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. Jeanne continued to move towards the west-northwest and reached its peak intensity of 167 kilometres per hour (90 knots) while located about 1000 kilometres west of the Cape Verde Islands. On September 25 and 26, Jeanne weakened due to increased southwesterly vertical shear. Under the influence of a mid- to upper-tropospheric trough, Jeanne accelerated toward the north-northeast on September 28 and re-intensified to near 148 kilometres per hour (80 knots). On September 29, its forward speed slowed and it weakened to a tropical storm. Jeanne continued moving toward the east-northeast while weakening. When it reached the Azores on October 1, it became extratropical.

Hurricane Karl developed from a small low of non-tropical origin near the coast of the Carolinas. The low moved eastward and deep convection became better organized. The system became Tropical Storm Karl on September 23 while located about 90 kilometres west-northwest of Bermuda and a hurricane on September 25 while located 1020 kilometres east-southeast of Bermuda. At this point, Karl became the fourth hurricane to coexist over the Atlantic. This is the first time this has occurred since 1893. A large mid- to upper-level trough moved Karl toward the northeast and the hurricane reached its maximum intensity of 167 kilometres per hour (90 knots) while about 1620 kilometres east-northeast of Bermuda. Karl weakened to a tropical storm on September 28 due to cooler waters and became extratropical later on the same day.

There were no reports of damage or fatalities as a result of Hurricane Karl.

Hurricane Lisa originated from a tropical wave that moved into the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean on September 29. By October 3, convection increased and by October 5, low level circulation indicated that a tropical depression had formed. Lisa accelerated to the northeast and reached a forward speed of up to 93 kilometres per hour (50 knots) by October 9. Later the same day, Lisa turned northward steered by a low to its west and a 1032 millibar high to its east. It merged with an extratropical frontal system and by October 10, it was no longer possible to identify a well-defined circulation on satellite imagery.

Hurricane Mitch was outside of the CHC’s Response Zone but is of note because of its high death toll and significant damage.

Hurricane Mitch originated from a tropical wave that moved across southern Africa on October 8. It moved through the eastern Caribbean Sea on October 18 and shower and thunderstorm activity were organized by October 21. The storm became Tropical Storm Mitch on October 22 while 415 kilometres east-southeast of south of San Andreas Island. Mitch then strengthened and moved north. The storm became a hurricane while located 470 kilometres south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica. During a 24 hour period, Mitch’s central pressure dropped 52 millibars to 924 millibars. By the 26, Mitch’s central pressure was 905 millibars. This is the fourth lowest pressure ever measured in an Atlantic Hurricane! Mitch reached its peak on October 26 with estimated winds of 287 kilometres per hour (155 knots) making it a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. On October 27, Mitch then turned southwestward and passed near the island of Guanaja (Honduras) as a Category 4 hurricane. From October 28 to October 30, Mitch continued to pass near and over Honduras while gradually weakening. Mitch was a tropical storm by October 30 and a tropical depression by October 31. The remnants of Mitch moved toward Merida, Mexico and became a tropical storm again by November 3. After making landfall over the northwestern Yucatan peninsula, Mitch accelerated northeastward and made landfall near Naples, Florida with winds of 102 kilometres per hour (55 knots). Mitch continued to move northeastward, moved offshore and became extratropical.

The overall motion of Hurricane Mitch was less then 7.5 kilometres per hour (4 knots). This resulted in very heavy rainfall estimated at up to 890 millimetres primarily over Honduras and Nicaragua. To put this into perspective, this 3-4 day rainfall amount is comparable to that for an 8-month period in Halifax, NS. The rainfall produced flash floods and large mudslides that killed thousands of people. The estimated death toll stands at 9,086. Also, 9191 persons were listed as missing. Obviously, this was one of the deadliest hurricanes in history. It has been estimated that there was a 50 percent loss to Honduras’ agricultural crops and at least 70,000 houses were damaged. People from around the world, including Canadians, donated money and assistance to the victims of this devastating hurricane.