Hurricane Floyd (1987)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Floyd
Type=hurricane
Year=1987
Basin=Atl
Image location=Floyd 12 oct 1987 1313Z.jpg

Florida.
Formed=October 9, 1987
Dissipated=October 13, 1987
1-min winds=65
Pressure=993
Da

Inflated=0
Fatalities=1 reported
Areas=Cuba, Florida and The Bahamas
Hurricane season=1987 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Floyd was the thirteenth tropical depression, seventh storm and third hurricane of the 1987 Atlantic hurricane season. Floyd became the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States in 1987, causing damage in Cuba, Florida and The Bahamas. The same area in Florida would be affected by Tropical Depression Fourteen several weeks later. Floyd was the first hurricane in nearly 20 years to form in the northwestern Caribbean Sea in October, after Gladys in 1968. [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1987-prelim/floyd/ Preliminary Report: Hurricane Floyd] ]

Meteorological history

Floyd formed as a low-level center in the Gulf of Honduras on October 5. From the 6th to the 8th, the system meandered east and stopped near the Nicaraguan coast. The next day, the center was recognizable by satellite and Air Force Reconnaissance aircraft and was declared the thirteenth tropical depression of the season. The depression drifted southward, but headed northward after a blocking ridge formed. At the same time, an upper-tropospheric anticyclone was also forming around the center. On October 10, the National Hurricane Center upgraded the system to Tropical Storm Floyd, the seventh named storm of the season.

An approaching low-pressure trough from the westerlies resulted in Floyd moving northward to northwestward. Floyd passed over Cuba and its winds peaked at 80 mph with a minimum pressure of 993 millibars according to Reconnaissance Aircraft. A new tropical low formed in the Gulf of Mexico due to the trough and contact with Floyd, causing Floyd to lose convection and become unrecognizable after passing Florida on October 13. Floyd became extratropical and merged with another low the same day.

Preparations

Multiple warnings and watches were released as Floyd approached. On October 10, a tropical storm warning was released for Swan Island in Nicaragua, Grand Cayman and the northwestern Yucatán Peninsula. The latter was eventually upgraded to a hurricane warning the next day, along with a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch for Cuba. The Florida Keys received its first warning late on October 11 for Fort Jefferson National Monument to Key Largo. A second concurrent hurricane warning was issued for the southwest coast (south of Venice, Florida). On October 12, a hurricane warning was placed on Bihimi, the Bahamas and the eastern coast of Florida. The next day, tropical storm warnings were issued for several of the Bahamian Islands. All were discontinued by October 14.

In Florida, frantic people rushed to supermarkets and gas stations in Key West to stock up on needed necessities. A small craft warning was in effect in the northwest Caribbean Sea. Some tourists left the island towards the mainland. [http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?
] ]

Impact

The highest gusts reported were convert|58|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on in Duck Key and the highest sustained winds did not exceed convert|75|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on. Only 40-45 mph winds were recorded north of the Keys. Rainfall in Florida was spread throughout the southern portion of the state ranging from convert|1|in|mm|sing=on in Daytona Beach to convert|10|in|mm in the Palm Beach Area. [http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/floyd1987filledrainblk.gifRainfall Totals for Hurricane Floyd] ] In Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, 7 inches of rain fell, while 3-4 inches fell in the Florida Keys. The only storm surge was 3-4 times above normal in the Florida Bay side of the Keys.

In the Bahamas, the highest reported gust was convert|48|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on at Freeport, Grand Bahama. Freeport International Airport reported sustained winds of convert|40|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on from the remnants of Floyd. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB368311EDA2AF6&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM FLOYD NICKS BAHAMAS, FADES INTO OBLIVION] ] The only damage in the Bahamas was the lost of a telephone contract. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB368315D1AFDEA&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM FLOYD DWINDLES, DISAPPEARS AFTER VISIT TO BAHAMAS COAST GUARD RESCUES 26 FROM CARGO SHIP] ] 1 death was reported by Floyd when authorities reported that a 23 year-old woman had lost her life in a riptide off of South Padre Island. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB29D980863C59F&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM HURRICANE FIZZLES OUT] ]

A tornado occurred in Key Largo causing over US$250,000 in damage to boats, mobile homes and minor damage to houses. [http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~21664 Event # 21,664 by the National Climatic Data Center] ] Damage in Dade county was less than $100,000 while utility damage was at about $300,000. Damage in southern Florida totaled out to $400,000.

Lack of retirement

The name Floyd was not retired and it was used again in 1993 and 1999. It has since been retired from the list of hurricane names.

Possible Connections

Although not universally accepted, some meteroligists believe that Hurricane Floyd may have been a factor in the Great Storm of 1987 due to the effects it had on the jet stream and the exeptionally warm air the hurricane brought.

See also

*List of Atlantic hurricanes
*List of notable tropical cyclones

References

External links

* [http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1987/FLOYD/track.gifFloyd 1987 track (Unisys)]
* [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1987.pdf Monthly Weather Review]