Tropical Storm Leslie (2000)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Tropical Storm Leslie
Type=Tropical storm
Year=2000
Basin=Atl
Image location=Tropical Storm Leslie (2000).jpg


Formed=October 4, 2000
Dissipated=October 7, 2000
1-min winds=40
Pressure=1006
Da

Inflated=1
Fatalities=3 indirect
Areas=Cuba, Florida, Bermuda, Newfoundland
Hurricane season=2000 Atlantic hurricane season

Tropical Storm Leslie was the costliest tropical cyclone of the 2000 Atlantic hurricane season. The twelfth named storm of the season, Leslie formed out of a trough of low pressure on October 4 to the east of Florida. Initially a subtropical cyclone, it strengthened and attained enough tropical characteristics to be reclassified as Tropical Storm Leslie on October 5. Leslie reached peak winds of 45 mph (70 km/h) before wind shear weakened it, and on October 7 it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone over the open Atlantic Ocean. It lasted three more days before losing its identity.

Leslie had little impact as a tropical cyclone. The precursor trough of low pressure produced torrential rainfall across Florida, peaking at 17.5 inches (440 mm). The flooding damaged thousands of houses and caused three indirect deaths. Damage in southern Florida totaled $950 million (2000 USD, $1.1 billion 2006 USD), of which around half was from agricultural damage. After the flooding, portions of south Florida were declared a disaster area.

Meteorological history

On September 27, a tropical wave entered the eastern Caribbean Sea, likely the same wave that spawned Hurricane Isaac. It moved generally westward, and remained weak with only sporadic thunderstorm activity. The wave traversed around the periphery of Hurricane Keith, and developed a mid-level circulation just south of western Cuba by October 2. It continued to organize as it moved to the northwest, prompting a Reconnaissance Aircraft into the area. However, the system lacked a surface circulation center, and remained an elongated trough of low pressure. The tropical wave interacted with an approaching frontal trough, while its mid-level center turned to the northeast and made landfall near Sarasota, Florida on October 4. While over land, a surface circulation developed near Orlando, and the National Hurricane Center designated the system as Subtropical Depression One. The subtropical designation occurred due to deep convection far removed from the center,cite web|author=James L. Franklin and Daniel P. Brown|year=2000|title=Tropical Storm Leslie Tropical Cyclone Report|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2006-06-19|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2000leslie.html] as well as an upper level trough instead of an anticyclone providing support for the system.cite web|author=James L. Franklin|year=2000|title=Subtropical Depression One Tropical Discussion|publisher=National Hurricane Center|accessdate=2006-06-19|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2000/dis/NAL1600.001.html]

The subtropical depression moved to the east-northeast, and steadily organized as deep convection developed closer to the center. Peak winds in the system, which were 175 miles (280 km) from the center when it first formed, were only 85 miles (135 km) from the center by the morning of October 5. Based on its organization and winds of 40 mph (65 km/h), the system was redesignated as Tropical Storm Leslie. As Leslie moved to the east-northeast, it strengthened slightly to reach winds of 45 mph (70 km/h). The storm interacted with an approaching cold front, and became extratropical on October 7 while 375 miles (600 km) north of Bermuda. The extratropical storm accelerated to the northeast and passed over Newfoundland on the 8th. It turned to the east then southeast, strengthening to near-hurricane force winds before losing its identity near Ireland on the 10th.

Preparations

The National Hurricane Center predicted the trough of low pressure to drop very heavy rainfall across western Cuba and Florida.cite web|author=Franklin/Brown|year=2000|title=October 2, 2000 Tropical Weather Outlook|publisher=National hurricane Center|accessdate=2006-06-20|url=ftp://ftp.met.fsu.edu/pub/weather/tropical/Outlook-A/2000100215.ABNT20] The National Weather Service in Miami issued a flood watch for southern Florida, stating that the system could produce flooding on roads and low-lying areas.cite web|author=National Weather Service|year=2000|title=FLOOD WATCH FOR MOST OF SOUTH FLORIDA THROUGH TUESDAY|accessdate=2006-06-20|url=http://flhurricane.com/cgi-bin/cfhcnews?talkback+127+1+38+2000] As a pre-emptive measure, water managers moved water out of canals.cite web|author=Miami-Dade Emergency Management|year=2005|title=Local Mitigation Strategy|accessdate=2006-06-21|url=http://www.miamidade.gov/eoc/library/LMS_strategy.pdf] In general, however, there was little warning for the flooding in Florida.cite web|author=South Dade Conveyance System|title=Pre-Storm / Storm / and Storm Recovery Operations for the South Dade Conveyance System|accessdate=2006-06-21|url=http://hpm.saj.usace.army.mil/issueweb/Sparrow/fiopeis/Appendices/Appendix%20A/IOP%20Pre-storm%20Ops.doc] While Leslie was moving east-northeastward, it posed a threat to Bermuda, prompting officials to issue a Tropical Storm Warning. However, the storm passed well to the west, and the warnings were quickly dropped.

Impact

The precursor disturbance of Leslie dropped heavy rainfall across central and western Cuba, peaking at 8.25 inches (210 mm) in the province of Havana. Numerous other areas reported over 4 inches (100 mm), as well.cite web|author=Instituto de Meteorología de la República de Cuba|year=2000|title=Temporada ciclónica de 2000 en el Atlántico Norte|language=Spanish|accessdate=2006-06-20|url=http://www.met.inf.cu/asp/genesis.asp?TB0=PLANTILLAS&TB1=TEMPORADA&TB2=/Temporadas/temporada2000.htm#Leslie] In southern Florida, the disturbance produced torrential rainfall, including a peak observation of 17.5 inches (440 mm) in South Miami. Two areas, one to the south of Lake Okeechobee and the other being the Miami area, received over 10 inches (255 mm) of rain.cite web|author=Hydrometeorological Prediction Center|year=2006|title=Rainfall Summary for Tropical Storm Leslie|accessdate=2006-06-21|url=http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/leslie2000.html] The system produced two weak F0 tornadoes in Miami-Dade County, one of which tore off a roof of a fire station in Hialeah.cite news|author=Susan Candiotti|year=2000|title=Miami bails out after floods take city by storm|publisher=CNN.com|accessdate=2006-06-21|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WEATHER/10/04/miami.flooding.01/index.html]

The torrential rainfall in Florida, similar to Hurricane Irene a year earlier, flooded about 93,000 homes with 214,000 residents in Miami-Dade County.cite news|author=Christina Ward|year=2000|title=Flooding Kills Two in South Florida|publisher=Redcross.org|accessdate=2006-06-21|url=http://www.redcross.org/news/archives/2000/10-5-00.html] An incomplete damage survey of Miami-Dade County indicated the flooding destroyed 1,005 houses, severely damaged 1,358, and caused minor damage to 3,443.cite web|author=National Climatic Data Center|year=2000|title=Weather Log October 1-10th, 2000|accessdate=2006-06-22|url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/extremes/2000/october/extremes1000.html] The floodwaters, which were 4 feet (1.2 m) deep in places, also flooded thousands of cars. Many were stranded in their houses, forcing them to use canoes or inflatable rafts to move to higher grounds. All schools in the Miami area were closed, and all nonessential Miami-Dade County employees were asked to stay home. Numerous flights in Miami International Airport were cancelled or delayed, though the airport remained opened. The flooding, which was greatest in Sweetwater, West Miami, Hialeah, Opa-Locka, and Pembroke Park, lasted for up to a week in areas.cite web|author=National Climatic Data Center|year=2000|title=Event Report for Florida|accessdate=2006-06-22|url=http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~389731] The extreme flooding damaged electrical stations, leaving more than 27,000 without power. The flooding indirectly killed three people; two from drowning as a result of driving vehicles into deep water, and one when a man fell from a tall building while trying to unclog a roof drain. Property damage totaled $450 million (2000 USD, $500 million 2005 USD).

Flood waters in Miami-Dade County covered about 40,000 acres (160 km²) of agricultural land, causing severe problems for farmers. The flooding occurred at the beginning of the planting period for the winter season. Flooded nurseries and fields resulted in about $500 million (2000 USD, $585 million 2006 USD) in agricultural damage, including $60 million (2000 USD, $66 million 2005 USD) in tropical fruit and $397 million (2000 USD, $465 million 2006 USD) in ornamental crops.cite news|author=Bob Blankenship|year=2000|title=Crawford Seeks Federal Assistance For Dade County Farmers Hit By Flooding|publisher=Florida-Agriculture.com|accessdate=2006-06-22|url=http://www.florida-agriculture.com/news/10-05-00.htm] The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared 16 Florida counties, including Miami-Dade, Collier, and Palm Beach, as primary disaster areas due to flooding or freeze, making farmers and their families there eligible for USDA emergency farm loans. 22 other counties, including Broward, were also eligible due to their proximity to the disaster areas.cite news|author=Dann Stuart|year=2001|title=Thirty-Eight Florida Counties Eligible for USDA Emergency Farm Loans|publisher=Farm Service Agency|accessdate=2006-06-22|url=http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/FullStory.asp?StoryID=92]

As an extratropical storm, Leslie produced winds of around 40 mph (65 km/h) while making landfall in Newfoundland. It also produced waves of up to 16 feet (5 m) in height, along with rainfall totals of around 1 inch (30 mm). The overall impact in this region was minor.cite web|author=Canadian Hurricane Centre|year=2000|title=2000 Tropical Cyclone Season Summary|accessdate=2006-06-22|url=http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm00.html]

Aftermath

In the immediate aftermath, cleanup workers could not work until the floodwaters receded. In addition, abandoned cars blocked the path of utility workers. Following the storm, President Bill Clinton declared Broward, Collier, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties as disaster areas, allowing for the use of federal funds for the disaster victims.cite web|author=FEMA|year=2000|title=President Orders Disaster Aid For Florida Storm Victims|accessdate=2006-06-22|url=http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=7854] In addition, Miami-Dade and Broward Counties were declared eligible for Federal Infrastructure Assistance, including providing 75% of the debris removal cost and repairing or replacing public roads, buildings, parks, and treatment plants.cite web|author=FEMA|year=2000|title=Miami-Dade, Broward Declared Eligible For Federal Infrastructure Assistance|accessdate=2006-06-22|url=http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=7850] By ten days after the storm, government agencies distributed 105,000 meals, 141,000 gallons (534,000 l) of water, and 357,000 pounds (162,000 kg) of ice.cite web|author=FEMA|year=2000|title=Florida Flood Disaster Update|accessdate=2006-06-22|url=http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=7848] Thousands visited five Disaster Recovery Centers, where information on disaster-related issues was given.cite web|author=FEMA|year=2000|title=Mobile Disaster Recovery Center Moves To North Miami Beach; Broward County Disaster Recovery Center To Close Saturday|accessdate=2006-06-22|url=http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=7848] By around two months after the flooding, over 51,000 applied for federal aid, with assistance totaling to more than $170 million (2000 USD, $199 million 2006 USD).cite web|author=FEMA|year=2000|title=South Florida Disaster Update: More Than $170 Million Approved; Applications Top 51,000 Mark as Dec. 4 Deadline Approaches|accessdate=2006-06-22|url=http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=7848]

Because the storm caused little damage as a tropical cyclone, the name Leslie was not retired, and it remains on the tropical cyclone naming list.

See also

* Tropical cyclone
* List of Atlantic hurricanes

References