Tropical Storm Chris (1988)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Tropical Storm Chris
Type=tropical storm
Year=1988
Basin=Atl
Image location=Chris 28 aug 1988 1326Z.jpg

Florida.
Formed=August 21, 1988
Dissipated=August 30, 1988
1-min winds=45
Pressure=1006
Da

Inflated=0
Fatalities=4 direct
Areas=Leeward Islands, Hispanola, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, New England
Hurricane season=1988 Atlantic hurricane season

Tropical Storm Chris was a weak tropical storm that made landfall in Georgia during the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season. The third storm of the season, Chris was one of five Atlantic storms in a year to make landfall on the United States coastline. Chris formed as a tropical depression in the central Atlantic Ocean on August 21 and did not reach tropical storm strength until August 28. Chris reached a peak intensity of 50 mph (80 km/h) and a low pressure of 1006 millibars before weakening and hitting Georgia.

Chris dropped light rainfall along its path, and its winds were minimal. The rainfall killed three people in Puerto Rico and a tornado killed one in South Carolina. Overall, Chris left $1.5 million (1988 USD, $2.4 million 2005 USD) in damage.

Meteorological history

A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 15 where it became a tropical depression on the 21st, halfway between Africa and the eastern Caribbean. However, despite 13 separate flights conducted by the National Hurricane Center, the depression did not reach tropical storm strength as it crossed over the northern Leeward Islands and Hispanola. On August 28, a hurricane hunter plane detected a closed area of circulation and sustained winds of 46 mph (74 km/h). That prompted forecasters to upgrade the depression to tropical storm status.NOAA (1988) [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1988-prelim/chris/prelim01.gifNHC Report on Chris] National Hurricane Center URL Accessed: August 15,2006]

However, Chris maintained tropical storm status of 12 hours as the forward acceleration of the storm caused it to weaken as it made landfall near Savannah, Georgia. Chris then crossed over the East Coast of the United States before becoming extratropical on the 30th. NOAA (1988) [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1988-prelim/chris/prelim01.gifNHC Report on Chris] National Hurricane Center URL Accessed: August 15,2006] Weather Underground (2006) [http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at198803.asp 1988 Archive] URL Accessed: August 15, 2006]

Preparations

In preparation of the tropical depression, officials in Puerto Rico closed public schools and sent federal workers home early. [United Press International. [http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] Retrieved on 2008-05-14.] Forecasters issued a tropical storm watch from South Carolina to the Outer Banks at 1000 UTC. Hours later the watches were changed to warnings and were extended for Savannah, Georgia. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1988-prelim/chris/prelim01.gifNHC Report on Chris] ]

Impact

[

---

right|thumb|Rainfall_totals_in_Puerto Rico.]

Leeward Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

Winds up to 35 mph (56 km/h) were reported in the Leeward Islands, there were no reports of damage or injuries.Weather Underground (2006) [http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at198803.asp 1988 Archive] URL Accessed: August 15, 2006] In the United States Virgin Islands, the depression dropped 1 inch (2.5 cm) of rain. Chris also dropped over 7-10 inches (17.9-25.4 cm) of rain over Puerto Rico, the highest was 14.5 inches (35.6 cm) in Hacienda Constanza. There were three fatalities in Puerto Rico, mainly from flooding. HPC (1988) [http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/chris1988.html HPC Report on Chris] URL Accessed: August 15, 2006] NOAA (1988) [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1988-prelim/chris/prelim02.gifNHC Report on Chris] National Hurricane Center URL Accessed: August 15, 2006]

Hispanola and Bahamas

Hispanola received heavy rain and 35 mph (56 km/h) winds but no deaths or damage was reported. In the Bahamas, the storm brought winds of 35 mph (56 km/h) but left no damage. [Longshore, David. "Encyclopedia of hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones". Facts on File (1998) ISBN 0-8160-3398-6, 168 ] Weather Underground (2006) [http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at198803.asp 1988 Archive] URL Accessed: August 15, 2006]

United States

In Florida, the outer bands of Chris produced 1-3 inches of rain. There were no reports of damage in Florida.HPC (1988) [http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/chris1988.html HPC Report on Chris] URL Accessed: August 15, 2006] In Georgia, Chris produced 43 mph (69 km/h) sustained winds with a gust reaching up to 49 mph (80 km/h). Several other locations reported 17-35 mph (28-56 km/h) winds. NOAA (1988) [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1988-prelim/chris/prelim04.gifNHC Report on Chris] National Hurricane Center URL Accessed: August 15, 2006] In South Carolina, the storm dropped over 2-3 inches of rain and spawned a tornado that caused one fatality , one injury and destroyed several mobile homes. Chris also produced tide levels of 0.5-1 feet (0.1-0.5 meters) above normal and 22-26 mph (35-43 km/h) winds were reported while winds of convert|44|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on were reported near Charleston, South Carolina. The winds left 18,000 South Carolina residents without power. ["Associated Press" [http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] "The Post Standard" (August 29, 1988) URL Accessed:October 2,2006] In North Carolina, the storm produced rainfall of 2-4 inches (50-100 mm) and sustained winds of 16-23 mph (30-43 km/h), with gusts reaching 32 mph (52 km/h). Damage in North Carolina occurred from tornadoes that hit west of Statesville in Iredell County. NOAA (1988) [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1988-prelim/chris/prelim02.gifNHC Report on Chris] National Hurricane Center URL Accessed: August 15, 2006] NOAA (1988) [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1988-prelim/chris/prelim04.gifNHC Report on Chris] National Hurricane Center URL Accessed: August 15, 2006] In the Northeastern United States, the remnants of Chris dropped 1-5 inches (2.5-12.7 cm) of rain across Pennsylvania and New York. In Maine, high winds from the storm damaged power lines that left 10,000 people without electricity. The storm also damaged four houses and several automobiles near Crystal Lake.HPC (1988) [http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/chris1988.html HPC Report on Chris] URL Accessed: August 15, 2006] ["Unknown" [http://www.pivot.net/~cotterly/hurricane.PDF Hurricanes Affecting Maine] URL Accessed: August 16, 2006] In all the storm left $1.5 million dollars (1988 USD, $2.4 million 2005 USD) in damage in the United States.

Canada

The extratropical remnants of Chris dropped heavy rains and produced winds of 25-30 mph (40-48 km/h). There were no reports of damage.Weather Underground (2006) [http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at198803.asp 1988 Archive] URL Accessed: August 15, 2006] [Canadian Hurricane Centre (2006) [http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm88.html#chris CHC Report on Chris] URL Accessed: August 16, 2006]

Because the damage was minimal as the result of Chris, the name was not retired by the World Meteorological Organization in the spring of 1989. It was reused in 1994, 2000, and 2006, and is currently on the list of names for the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season.

ee also

*Tropical cyclone

References