Hurricane Beta (2005)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Beta
Type=hurricane
Year=2005
Basin=Atl
Image location=Hurricane Beta 29 oct 2005 1840Z.jpg


Formed=October 26, 2005
Dissipated=October 31, 2005
1-min winds=100
Pressure=962
Da

Inflated=
Fatalities=0
Areas=San Andrés and Providencia(Colombia), Nicaragua, Honduras
Hurricane season=2005 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Beta was the twenty-third named storm, fourteenth hurricane, and seventh major hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It formed in the southwest Caribbean Sea in late October, and on October 30 made landfall on the Mosquito Coast in the north of the Nicaraguan Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur as a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Damage from the storm was severe, but less than initially feared.

Meteorological history

Late on October 26, a broad area of low pressure in the southwestern part of the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Costa Rica organized into Tropical Depression Twenty-six. Shortly thereafter, it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Beta. Beta strengthened into a hurricane at 2 am EDT October 29, after spending a few hours on the border between tropical storm and hurricane strength. Beta reached windspeeds of 115 mph (185 km/h) making it a Category 3 hurricane by 4 am EST October 30.

The Colombian island of Providencia, about 140 miles off the coast of Nicaragua, was subjected to hurricane force winds for several hours as the center of the storm moved slowly very close to or over the island. Initial reports indicated extensive damage to homes and a temporary loss of communications with the islanders.

Beta made landfall in the morning of October 30 near the town of Sandy Bay Sirpi, 310 kilometres northeast of the Nicaraguan capital, Managua, as a strong Category 2 hurricane, wrecking a number of buildings and toppling trees. It weakened as it interacted with land and dissipated into a remnant low pressure system. Had the system continued to move westward, the possibility existed for it to regenerate once it entered the Pacific Ocean. If the storm had regenerated, a new number and name would have been given.

The remnants of Hurricane Beta dropped heavy rain over parts of Central America on Monday, prompting forecasters to warn of deadly landslides and flooding as the storm began to dissipate. There were numerous reports of damage but fortunately no deaths were reported, although there were numerous reports of injuries and people missing. The storm finally dissipated late in the evening of October 30.

Although Beta had moved out to sea, lingering rains from the storm continued to fall on Nicaragua and Honduras on October 31.

Nicaraguan officials said that if the hurricane had hit larger coastal cities such as Puerto Cabezas or Bluefields as was first predicted it would have been a disaster.

Preparation

The preparations ultimately turned out to be critical, since there were no reported fatalities despite the extensive damage.Fact|date=October 2008

Colombia

Early on the morning of October 27 the Colombian Government issued a tropical storm warning for the islands of San Andrés and Providencia.cite web|author=Knabb|publisher=National Hurricane Center|date=2005-10-27|accessdate=2008-10-03|title=Tropical Depression Twenty-Six Intermediate Advisory Number 1a|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/pub/al262005.public_a.001.shtml?] Hours later, a hurricane watch was added.cite web|author=Knabb|publisher=National Hurricane Center|date=2005-10-27|accessdate=2008-10-03|title=Tropical Depression Twenty-Six Advisory Number 2|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/pub/al262005.public.002.shtml] By late morning, both advisories were replaced by a hurricane warning.cite web|author=Beven|publisher=National Hurricane Center|date=2005-10-27|accessdate=2008-10-03|title=Tropical Depression Twenty-Six Advisory Number 3|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/pub/al262005.public.003.shtml] The island did not have much time to prepare for Hurricane Beta, being struck only three days after its formation. Of its 5000 residents all stayed to weather the storm, but about 300 of them evacuated wooden homes on the beach for sturdier brick shelters inland on the islands mountains. The neighboring island of San Andrés initiated a moratorium on all outdoor activities as the storm's outer bands reached the island on October 29.

Nicaragua

Immediately upon the storm's formation on October 26, the Government of Nicaragua issued a tropical storm warning for its entire eastern coast.cite web|author=Avila|publisher=National Hurricane Center|date=2005-10-26|accessdate=2008-10-03|title=Tropical Depression Twenty-Six Advisory Number 1|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/pub/al262005.public.001.shtml] The next day the tropical storm warning was supplemented by a hurricane watch. On October 29, Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos declared a maximum "red alert" for the country's eastern coast.cite web|author=Staff Writer|publisher=International Herald Tribune|date=2005-10-30|accessdate=2008-10-04|title=Nicaragua evacuates thousands as Hurricane Beta approaches|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/30/america/web.1030beta.php] Despite the governments efforts, only 10,000 people were evacuated from the Caribbean-side coast and the majority secured themselves in their homes. The government pre-positioned food, medicines, clothing, emergency supplies, and army rescue specialists in the most vulnerable areas to provide relief immediately after the storm passed. Classes were canceled in all of the country's schools and businesses experienced surging demand for hurricane supplies.

In the city of Puerto Cabezas, population 60,000, [cite web|author=AFP|publisher=ABC News Online|date=2005-10-30|accessdate=2008-10-04|title=Nicaragua orders evacuations as hurricane looms|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1493859.htm] meteorologists expected a direct hit. Local authorities announced a curfew to prevent looting.cite web|author=AFX News|publisher=Forbes|date=2005-10-30|accessdate=2008-10-03|title=Hurricane Beta hits Nicaragua|url=http://www.forbes.com/finance/feeds/afx/2005/10/30/afx2307339.html] The government also cut off electricity throughout the small coastal city to prevent injuries. Evacuations were limited, and the most vulnerable of the population crammed into dilapidated shelters to weather the slow-moving storm.cite web|author=Cyntia Barrera Diaz|publisher=The Herald Sun|date=2005-10-31|accessdate=2008-10-05|title=Hurricane Beta slams into Nicaragua|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,17089217-1702,00.html] cite web|author=Staff Writer|publisher=CNN|date=2005-10-30|accessdate=2008-10-05|title=Hurricane Beta reaches Category 3 intensity|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/10/29/saturday/index.html?section=cnn_latest]

Many experts, including national meteorology director Milagros Castro, warned of the threat of mudslides, especially since Beta was a slow-moving storm.Fact|date=October 2008

Honduras

In Honduras, President Ricardo Maduro declared a maximum state of alert on October 29. In Tegucigalpa, residents rushed to buy hurricane supplies even as an emergency committee tried to evacuate 125,000 people from the most vulnerable areas of the capital.cite web|author=Reuters|publisher=The Age|date=2005-10-30|accessdate=2008-10-04|title=Hurricane Beta strengthens|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/hurricane-beta-strengthens/2005/10/30/1130607150739.html] Evacuations were being readied in five of the country's eighteen departments.Fact|date=October 2008

El Salvador

Although Hurricane Beta was not predicted to impact El Salvador, the government feared that rain from the storm could trigger landslides like those of Hurricane Stan earlier that month. [http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/10/30/beta.hurricane/index.html] Civil defense officials declared a preemptive alert so as to be prepared for that eventuality. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/30/america/web.1030beta.php]

Impact

Providencia

Hurricane Beta reached Providencia Island, on October 29, 2005. Roofs were damaged all over the island,cite web|author=Richard J. Pasch|coauthors=David P. Roberts|publisher=National Hurricane Center|date=2006-03-28|accessdate=2008-09-30|title=Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Beta, 26-31 October 2005|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL272005_Beta.pdf|format=PDF] and the island's main communications tower was knocked over. This disrupted fixed-line telephone service and as the island has no cellular telephone service, it caused a total cessation of communication with the mainland.cite web|author=Staff Writer|publisher=CNN|date=2005-10-29|accessdate=2008-09-30|title=Beta hits island of Providencia|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/10/28/beta/] Beta's arrival on the island was accompanied by a seven-foot storm surge, which damaged beaches, coastal houses and roads, and washed out a tourist footbridge. Thirty people were injured during Hurricane Beta's passage over the island, but no one was killed.cite web|author=Associated Press|publisher=Fox News|date=2005-10-31|accessdate=2008-09-30|title=Beta Drenches Central America|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,173973,00.html]

Nicaragua

Beta caused severe damage where it made landfall near the towns of Sandy Bay and Karawala.cite web|author=Staff Writer|publisher=BBC|date=2005-10-30|accessdate=2008-10-05|title=Beta weakens into tropical storm|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/americas/4383940.stm] Local reports said the town's population of 3,000 had mostly fled in advance. Wooden huts constitute most of the housing in Sandy Bay, and about eighty percent of it was rendered uninhabitable.

In the capital Managua, trees uprooted and some houses lost their roofs, but damage was fairly minimal. Minor street flooding was reported, and one of the port's piers was also damaged.

Many herds of cattle were killed by the storm.Fact|date=October 2008

700 people were trapped in Tasbapauni, when the road connecting the town to the mainland across a lagoon was washed away. Eighty percent of homes in the coastal hamlet were severely damaged.Fact|date=October 2008 Some 200 homes in Laguna de Perlas' 17 lake-front villages are reported to have been severely damaged.Fact|date=October 2008

Though the storm's remnants were expected to drop an additional four to eight inches on already saturated ground, President Enrique Bolaños said his country had escaped a major catastrophe. He pledged to quickly get aid to remote towns cut off by flooding and landslides.

Nicaraguan Civil Defence Chief Col. Mario Perez Cassar said eighty per cent of the buildings on the central coast where the hurricane hit were heavily damaged or destroyed.

The four missing men were found alive later aboard a boat that had been swept out into the Caribbean. A passing Panamanian-registered tanker ship found the four, all Miskito Indians, adrift about forty eight kilometres off the Nicaraguan coast after their gasoline ran out.

Ten people left the northern coastal city of Puerto Cabezas in a boat during the height of the storm and although their boat sunk they were all found alive the next day. One person was injured in Nicaragua, but no one was killed.

Honduras

In Honduras, Beta left fifty communities isolated and damaged bridges in the northeastern provinces of Gracias a Dios, Atlantida and Colon on the coast.

Strong winds knocked down signs, fences, trees and electricity and telephone poles, cutting off power and communication in hundreds of communities and at least two highways were blocked.

Authorities evacuated more than 7,800 people from north of the Nicaraguan border after four rivers overflowed from rain brought by Beta.

The national soccer league suspended all its games. The airports at La Ceiba and Roatan on the coast were operating sporadically due to poor visibility, strong winds and flooding.

Flooding damaged rice, corn and bean fields. High waters also sent snakes out of the jungle into residential areas, although there were no reports of snakebites.

Aftermath and naming

Hurricane Beta was the first hurricane to be named after a letter in the Greek alphabet; the first tropical system to be named with a Greek letter, Tropical Storm Alpha, didn't reach hurricane strength. It was also the first Greek-letter named storm to reach major hurricane intensity.

ee also

* List of tropical cyclones
* List of Atlantic hurricanes
* List of 2005 Atlantic hurricane season storms

References

* [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/10/28/beta/ "Beta hits island of Providencia"] . (28 October 2005). "CNN".
* [http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20051031-062739-1022r "Nicaragua mops up after Hurricane Beta"] . (31 October 2005). "United Press International".
* [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1266142 "Beta spawns floods in Central America"] . (31 October 2005). "ABC News".
* [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051031.wbeta1031/BNStory/International/ "Weakening Beta brings flooding to Central America"] (31 October 2005). "The Globe and Mail".
* [http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13040101.htm "Beta strikes Nicaragua"] (31 October 2005). "The Miami Herald".
* [http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={5C3B94EC-0339-4AA9-928E-054FB6A46AA2}&language=EN "Four Missing, Feared Dead, After Beta Hits Nicaragua"] (31 October 2005). "Prensa Latina".

External links

Wikinewshas|related news
*
* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL272005_Beta.pdf NHC Beta Report] (PDF file)
*The NHC's [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/refresh/BETA+shtml/ archive on Hurricane Beta] .
* [http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/10/30/beta.hurricane/ CNN: Hurricane Beta belts Nicaragua]