Tropical Storm Fabian (1991)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Tropical Storm Fabian
Type=Tropical storm
Year=1991
Basin=Atl
Image location=Tropical Storm Fabian (1991).jpg

Cuba.
Formed=October 15, 1991
Dissipated=October 16, 1991
1-min winds=40
Pressure=1002
Da

Fatalities=No fatalities reported
Areas=Cuba, Florida
Hurricane season=1991 Atlantic hurricane season

Tropical Storm Fabian was a short-lived tropical storm during the 1991 Atlantic hurricane season. The sixth named storm of the year, it was one of three tropical cyclones during the 1991 season to make landfall on the United States.

Fabian formed in the northwest Caribbean southwest of Cuba and reached a peak intensity of 45 mph (75 km/h), shortly before crossing over Cuba and Florida as it moved northeast. Fabian became extratropical north of the Bahamas the next day, and dissipated on October 17. Fabian caused only minimal damage along its path and there were no reported fatalities or injuries.

Meteorological history

On October 12, a cold front moved into the northwestern Caribbean Sea, affecting Cuba and Florida. At the same time, a westward-moving tropical wave was located near Jamaica. On October 13, the two systems interacted in the Gulf of Honduras, producing falling surface pressures and increasing convective activity.cite web|author=Avila, Lixion|year=1991|title=Tropical Storm Fabian|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2006-12-08|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/prenhc/prelim01.gif] An NOAA Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance plane was dispatched to investigate the area on October 15, and upon finding a 1006-mbar area of low pressure with 35-kt (40 mph, 65 km/h) winds, the system was classified as a tropical storm at about 1300 UTC. An advisory was issued at 1530 UTC declaring the formation of the tropical storm.cite web
author=Rappaport, Ed|date=1991-10-15|title=Tropical Storm Fabian Discussion Number 1|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2006-12-12|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/tropdisc/nal0991.001] In post-storm analysis, it was decided that a tropical depression had already formed at 0000 UTC that day.cite web| author=NHC Hurricane Research Division| title=Atlantic hurricane best track ("HURDAT")| publisher=NOAA| date=2006-02-17|accessdate=2006-12-14| url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/easyhurdat_5105.html#1991_6 ] The initial advisory anticipated that a forecast trough would have a significant impact on both the track and intensity of Fabian, and called for only minor strengthening.

Moving northeastward, Tropical Storm Fabian made landfall on the Isle of Youth at 2100 UTC as a poorly organised system. It made a second landfall about three hours later near Peninsula de Zapata, Cuba, re-emerging into water a few hours later. An NHC discussion issued at 0330 UTC October 16 noted difficulty in locating a centre of circulation on satellite imagery, but noted deep convection within a fairly symmetric central dense overcast. Based on this, the storm was forecast to strengthen further.cite web|author=Lawrence, Miles|date=1991-10-15|title=Tropical Storm Fabian Discussion Number 3|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2006-12-12
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/tropdisc/nal0991.003] Fabian reached its peak intensity of 40 knots (45 mph, 75 km/h) with a pressure of 1002 mbar while crossing the Florida Straits, although the strongest winds were reported in the eastern semicircle of the storm, with no strong winds on the west. This was attributed to wind shear.cite web|author=Mayfield, Max|publisher=NOAA|date=1991-10-16|accessdate=2006-12-14|title=Tropical Storm Fabian Discussion Number 4|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/tropdisc/nal0991.004] Fabian then accelerated to the northeast, driven by a deep layer mean flow. The storm began to weaken, with a NOAA reconnaissance plane reporting a central pressure of 1009 mbar shortly before 1530 UTC October 16. This advisory was also the first to mention the possibility of extratropicality.cite web
author=Rappaport, Ed|date=1991-10-16|title=Tropical Storm Fabian Discussion Number 5|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2006-12-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/tropdisc/nal0991.005] The storm was declared extratropical at 1800 UTC after recon failed to find a closed surface circulation.cite web
author=Rappaport, Ed|date=1991-10-16|title=Tropical Storm Fabian Discussion Number 6|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2006-12-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/tropdisc/nal0991.006] Fabian's extratropical remnants continued northeastward before dissipating on October 17.

Preparations

Throughout the course of Fabian's short life as a tropical cyclone, the National Hurricane Center issued tropical storm warnings and watches ahead of the storm. A tropical storm warning for Havana to Ciego de Avila including the Isle of Youth, as well as a tropical storm watch for all of the Florida Keys and for some islands of the Bahamas, was issued at 1600 UTC on October 15.cite web|author=Avila, Lixion|year=1991|title=Tropical Storm Fabian|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2006-12-12|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/prenhc/prelim04.gif] Small craft within the warning and watch areas were advised to remain in or return to port. [cite web|author=Sheets, Bob|date=1991-10-15|title=Tropical Storm Fabian Intermediate Advisory Number 1A|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2006-12-13
url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/public/paal0991.001] The tropical storm watch for the Bahamas was upgraded to a tropical storm warning shortly after, but all warnings and watches were discontinued by the next day as the storm became extratropical.cite web|title=Tropical Storm Fabian Special Advisory Number 6|date=1991-10-16|accessdate=2006-12-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/public/pal0991.006
author=Rappaport, Ed|publisher=NOAA]

Because Fabian was forecast to remain a minimal tropical storm, officials in the Florida Keys did not open any storm shelters and schools remained opened.cite web|author=White, Max|date=1991-10-17|title=Tropical Storm Fabian Preliminary Report|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2006-12-13|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/preloc/record02.gif ] The only reported disruption to normal activities was the closing of two state parks in the Florida Keys.cite web|author=Henize, Dennis (WFO Key West)
publisher=NOAA|title=Post-Storm Report - Preliminary Storm Summary: Tropical Storm Fabian|date=1991-10-17|accessdate=2006-12-14|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/preloc/psheyw.gif] In Dade County, Florida, a few storm shelters were opened, in anticipation that Fabian might bring flooding rains.

Impact

A weather station on the Isle of Youth reported a barometric pressure of 1004.9 millibars during Fabian's passage. On mainland Cuba, several weather stations reported gusts to 40 mph (65 km/h) and a pressure drop from 1012 mbar to 1008 mbar in a six hour period. Fabian also dropped more than convert|4|in|mm of rain over central Cuba over a 12-24 hour period on October 15.cite web|author=Avila, Lixion|year=1991|title=Tropical Storm Fabian|publisher=NOAA|accessdate=2006-12-13|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/prenhc/prelim02.gif] The highest rainfall total was 6.2 inches (157.5 mm) in Caonao on the south coast of Cuba. Large rainfall amounts were also reported in the towns of Antonio Maceo, Punta del Este and Calimete, Matanzas Province where amounts between 4.7-5.7 inches (119.4-144.8 mm) were recorded. There were no reports of damage or fatalities.

In the Florida Keys, the National Weather Service Weather Service Office in Key West recorded sustained winds of 28 mph (44 km/h) with gusts up to 32 mph (52 km/h). The total 24-hour rainfall total recorded up to 2300 UTC October 15 was 1.75 inches (44.5 mm). Elsewhere in the Keys, rainfall totals of up to 3.09 inches (78.5 mm) in a calendar day were reported. Only isolated flooding happened from the precursor system to Fabian, and there were no reports of road closings or damage. In South Florida, Homestead Air Force Base reported rainfall of 3.68 inches (93.5 mm), but this too was attributed to the precursor frontal system, rather than Fabian itself.

The Bahamas was affected by Fabian as it turned extratropical, with the storm passing directly over parts of Grand Bahama. [cite web|author=Bahamas Department of Meteorology|year=2006|title=Tropical Cyclones which affected the Bahamas|accessdate=2006-12-13|url=http://www.bahamasweather.org.bs/tropical/history/index.php] However, no deaths or damage were reported.

Due to a lack of deaths and damage, the name Fabian was not retired by the World Meteorological Organization at the meeting of the RA IV Hurricane Committee in 1992. The name was reused in 1997 and 2003. The name Fabian was then retired after the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season and replaced with the name Fred for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season.cite web|author=Oficina Nacional de Meteorología, Centro de Información Huracanes|year=2004|title=Reports of hurricanes, tropical storms, tropical disturbances and related flooding during 2003|accessdate=2006-12-14|url=http://www.wmo.ch/web/www/TCP/Reports/HC26-English.pdf|publisher=World Meteorological Organization]

ee also

*Tropical cyclone
*Cold front

References

External links

* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991-prelim/fabian/ National Hurricane Center Preliminary Report on Hurricane Fabian]
* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/public/ National Hurricane Center public advisory archive for Hurricane Fabian]
* [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/fabian/tropdisc/ National Hurricane Center tropical discussion archive for Hurricane Fabian]