The 1995 Atlantic Hurricane Season will go down in the record books as the second busiest
hurricane season since 1871. There were a total of 19 named storms, 11 of which reached
hurricane strength. Only in 1933, with 21 known storms, did the number of tropical cyclones
surpass 1995's count.
Five of the eleven hurricanes reached category 3 or higher on the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale
with sustained winds of 96kts or greater. Five tropical cyclones made landfall in the continental U.S., two of which were hurricanes Erin and Opal. Hurricanes Luis and Marilyn struck the northeastern Caribbean Islands and Hurricane Roxanne affected a large area of Mexico. Total
damages are estimated to be over $8 billion for the U.S., the Caribbean, and Mexico. Estimates
for the U.S., including the U.S. Virgin Islands, exceed $5 billion. These estimates are based on
insured and uninsured property loses. Insured property loses are reported to the American
Insurance Services Group. The National Hurricane Center estimates that uninsured losses usually
match that of the insured losses. The overall death toll (direct causes) was 122, with 29 of those
in the U.S.
Following is a synopsis of each storm.
Allison- Only three days into the official tropical storm season, Allison formed in the
northwestern Caribbean and immediately headed northward toward the Florida panhandle. At the
time the image was taken on June 4
(Figure 1), Allison was a marginal hurricane with top winds at 65Kts. The visible image shown on
Figure 2 was taken approximately an hour before Allison made landfall over Alligator Point, Florida. The center of circulation is shown with the heaviest of the squall bands (brighter clouds) spiraling well north and east of the center.
Barry- Tropical Storm Barry formed from a frontal low first detected between South Carolina
and Bermuda.
Figure 3 is a visible image of Barry with 60kt winds. Note that most of the
convection with this storm is north of a relatively cloud-free center. The mid-Atlantic coast is
shown at the upper left-hand corner.
Chantal- On July 5 a tropical wave moved off the west African coast By July 12 its circulation was organized enough to call it a tropical depression. Figure 4 shows Tropical Storm Chantal during the early morning hours of July 18 when it had 50kt winds.
The low sun angle shows the circulation rather nicely. The storm at that time was heading
north to northeastward missing Bermuda well to the west.
Dean- Dean briefly became a Tropical Storm on July 30 and moved inland just south of
Galveston, Texas, later that day. Figure 5 shows a GOES-8
visible image of Dean along the Texas coast. There were no reports of injuries or deaths
associated with Dean. However, heavy rainfall was a problem causing $500,000 in damages.
Erin- While Dean was dumping heavy rains along the Texas coast, Erin formed into a tropical storm from a vigorous wave over the southeastern Bahamas. An upper-level low near Florida slowed Erin's development somewhat, but by August 1 Erin became the second hurricane of the season. Figure 7 shows Hurricane Erin early in the day on August 1. Cyclonic circulation is evident in this image; however, there is no "eye," suggesting that the storm is a minimal hurricane. Hurricane Erin made landfall around 10 am EDT the next day near Vero Beach, Florida, as a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale, with estimated winds of 75kts. As Erin crossed the central Florida peninsula it temporarily weakened to a tropical storm but soon regained its strength after emerging over the warm Gulf of Mexico waters late on August 2. Satellite images showed Erin forming an eye which indicates some strengthening. By early morning on August 3, Erin's sustained winds reached 85kts in a small area near its center when it came ashore near Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Figure 8 shows the center of Erin moving through the Florida panhandle after making landfall. There were six
fatalities and an estimated $700 million damage.
Felix- The first major hurricane of the season, Felix reached hurricane strength at 0000 UTC on August 11, while centered about 500 nautical miles east-northeast of the Leeward Islands. Felix continued to deepen and reached maximum strength at 1800 UTC on August 12 with sustained
surface winds estimated at 120kts. Although Felix maintained hurricane strength for well over a
week, it never regained its peak strength after the initial weakening. Despite that, Felix was a
huge storm and affected much of the U.S. Atlantic seaboard as it meandered for many days.
Figure 9 was taken by GOES-8, which shows a well formed minimal hurricane at about its closest approach to the U.S. coastline. Figure 10 is an infrared photo of Felix about a day later. Large swells created rip tide currents near the shorelines resulting in the drowning of eight swimmers, three off the North Carolina coast and five off the New Jersey coast. Felix affected Bermuda
twice as it lingered.
Gabrielle- After moving across the Atlantic and Caribbean as a tropical wave, Gabrielle finally strengthened into a tropical storm early in the day on August 10. The storm gradually intensified to 60 knots by late on the 11th, just prior to making landfall just south of La Pesca, Mexico. Figure 6 shows Gabrielle with strong convection near the center.
Humberto- Hurricane Humberto remained in the eastern and central Atlantic from its inception and became extratropical several hundred miles to the west-northwest of the Azores. Its evolution included an interaction with Hurricane Iris when the latter was near the Lesser Antilles. Figure 11 shows Hurricanes Iris and Humberto from left to right with two well formed tropical waves moving off the western African coast. These two will later be named Karen and Luis.
Iris- Iris was the first of four consecutive tropical waves to form into a tropical storm. Iris' evolution and movement were greatly influenced by Humberto and Karen. Tropical Storm Iris
moved through the islands of the northeastern Caribbean during late August and produced locally
heavy rains and associated flooding. Three deaths occurred, two on the island of Martinique and
one on the island of Guadeloupe. Figure 12 shows Hurricane Iris with 75kt winds. At this time Iris began a Fujiwhara effect with Tropical Storm Karen to the southeast. A Fujiwhara effect is where two storms begin moving about a central point between
them, much like two ice skaters spinning around each other. The interaction swept the weaker
Karen on a spiral path around and then into Iris where it was absorbed by September 3.
Jerry- Tropical Storm Jerry formed just offshore of southeast Florida early in the day on August 23. Jerry then made landfall near Jupiter, Florida, later that day and slowly moved northwestward then northward into Georgia over the next few days. Jerry will be remembered for producing heavy rainfall across the Carolinas with over 12 inches falling in the foothills of South Carolina. Six people died as a result of flash flooding. Figure 13 shows Jerry as a loosely organized tropical storm along the southeast Florida coast.
Karen- Not affecting land, Karen remained a minimal tropical storm. The center of circulation was absorbed by the stronger Hurricane Iris on September 3.
Figure 14 shows Karen as a near minimal tropical storm. Hurricane Iris' circulation was affecting Karen at this time.
Luis- After Felix Hurricane Luis became the second category 4 storm. In its wake Luis left an estimated sixteen dead and two-and-a half billion dollars in
damages on the northeastern most Leeward Islands. The Atlantic Ocean was already crowded with
three other tropical systems, Humberto, Iris, and Karen when Luis became a tropical depression
near Cape Verde on August 27. By the afternoon of August 30, Luis became the sixth
hurricane of the season and continued to strengthen while moving west-northwestward. Figure 16 shows a
large storm with a well defined eye. The most intense convection, shown in red, encircles
the eye without any breaks, which is a sign of a very vigorous hurricane. The maximum
sustained winds were estimated at 120kts at the time this image was taken. Figure 15 is a closeup
visible image of Hurricane Luis taken early in the morning on September 6. The low sun angle
provides a unique look of the swirling cloud tops and distinct eyewall. Days later, there was
one storm related death in Newfoundland.
Marilyn- Marilyn became a tropical storm on September 13 and reached hurricane strength 24
hours later when a reconnaissance flight first identified a closed eyewall. Over the next three days the track turned more northwestward moving into the northeastern Caribbean Sea. Strengthening during this time was gradual. It hit the U.S. Virgin Islands late on September 15, which by then was a strong category 2 storm with 100kt winds. The strongest, most damaging part of the storm, the eastern and northeastern part of the eyewall, passed directly over St. Thomas Island. It caused 8 deaths and $1.5 billion in damages. Figure 18 shows an infrared satellite image of Hurricane Marilyn as its center approached St. Thomas Island. The storm appears well formed with a distinct, but relatively small eye. Figure 17 is a visible image taken by NOAA-14, showing Marilyn moving away from the Leeward Islands on September 16. The Dominican Republic is clearly shown to the west of the storm.
Noel- Noel was a marginal hurricane that remained at sea over the eastern Atlantic. Figure 19 shows Tropical Storm Noel just before it became a hurricane. The infrared image shows some organization with good convective activity. The center is ill defined.
Opal- The most destructive hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Andrew, Opal will likely rank in the top ten list of costliest twentieth-century U.S. hurricanes after adjustments to inflation. Preliminary estimates of insured property damage for the U.S. is $2.1 billion with total damage estimates possibly reaching $3 billion. Opal became a tropical storm after emerging from the Yucatan Peninsula into the warm waters of the Bay of Campeche early in the day on September 30. Aircraft reports and satellite imagery suggested that Opal became a hurricane on October 2. A banding type eye appeared in satellite images later in the day while a large amplitude trough moving into the central United States began turning Opal toward the north. By early morning of October 3 the National Hurricane Center posted hurricane watches from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Suwannee River, Florida. Taking advantage of the 84F Gulf of Mexico water temperatures and upper-level anticyclone, Opal continued to strengthen. Opal was a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale early on October 4 at which time reconnaissance aircraft reported a small 10 nautical mile diameter eye. The minimum central pressure was an amazing 916mb with estimated sustained surface wind velocities at 130kts. At this time Opal was 250 nautical miles south-southwest of Pensacola, Florida. Fortunately, Opal could not maintain peak intensity as the inner eyewall collapsed within a few hours. Figure 21 is a visible GOES image taken 6 hours before Opal made landfall. Note that the eye is no longer apparent. The first outer convective band has moved over the Gulf Coast. The solid mass of clouds across Mississippi, Alabama and Northern Georgia is associated with a frontal system. Figure 22 shows Opal making landfall at Pensacola Beach, Florida. The maximum sustained winds were 100kts near the center of the storm. Although winds were diminishing at the time of landfall, extensive damage due to storm surge and breaking waves occurred over most of the coastal areas of the Florida panhandle. The estimated U.S. death toll from direct causes is 9.
Pablo- Pablo was a Cape Verde-type tropical storm that did not effect land. Figure 20 shows Tropical Storm Pablo with estimated winds of 50kts.
Roxanne- Roxanne was the first October hurricane that formed and reached category 3 on the
Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale in the western Caribbean Sea since Hurricane Hattie (category 4)
in October 1961. Roxanne formed from a complex combination of several large scale features:
an upper level trough, broad surface low pressure area and a tropical wave. Early on October 10,
Roxanne became the tenth hurricane of the season. Roxanne strengthened to a category 3
hurricane just as its center passed near the southern tip of Cozumel Island. Figures 23 and 24 are GOES-8 visible and infrared images, respectively, showing Roxanne approaching the Yucatan Peninsula. The eye is well-formed indicative of a vigorous hurricane. The estimated sustained winds were between 95 and 100kts. The hurricane crossed the Yucatan Peninsula and entered the Bay of Campeche and weakened to a tropical storm as it lingered near the west coast of the peninsula. It wandered over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico for nine days. In that time Roxanne restrengthened into a hurricane and then finally weakened to dissipation just offshore the coast of Mexico near Veracruz. Because Opal affected similar areas just 2 weeks earlier, it is difficult to separate damages from both storms. According to insurance company estimates, best estimate of the combined damage is $1.5 billion. Roxanne was responsible for 14 deaths.
Sebastien-Tropical Storm Sebastien originated from a tropical wave that moved westward across the Atlantic Ocean from October 13 through the 19. Sebastien became a tropical storm on
October 21 and reached peak intensity on the 22 based on a ship observation. The presence of a
southwesterly vertical wind shear precluded significant development. The colder cloud tops were
displaced about 100 miles to the east and northeast of the center exposing the low level
circulation as shown on
Figure 25. It dissipated as it moved near the Virgin Islands.
Tanya- Hurricane Tanya formed in the central Atlantic Ocean from a tropical wave originating from the west African coast. This wave followed the one that spawned Tropical Storm Sebastien. By October 27 surface observations indicated a definite closed surface circulation and became a marginal hurricane early October 29. Influenced by a strong eastward moving trough and
associated cold front near Bermuda, Tanya began to turn northeastward. Figure 26 shows Tanya, as a small hurricane embedded in a narrow wedge of warmer air between cooler air masses over
the western and eastern Atlantic. Tanya reached peak intensity of 75kts on October 31. Tanya
brought gale force winds over the Azores before merging with a large low pressure system over
the north Atlantic by November 3.