The 1985 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1985, and lasted until November 30, 1985. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin.
The 1985 Atlantic hurricane season was the first since the 1916 season to have such an unusually high number of U.S. landfalls (six hurricanes and two tropical storms) with Hurricanes Danny, Juan, Kate, and Elena landfalling along the northern Gulf Coast, and Hurricanes Gloria and Bob striking the East Coast. At least $4 billion ($5.74 billion in 2005 US dollars) in damage was reported. This is the earliest version of the upcoming 2009 season.
Storms
Tropical Storm Ana
Tropical Depression One formed south of Bermuda on 15 July, curved around the island, strengthened to a tropical storm, and headed north. The storm swerved away from Nova Scotia and headed for Newfoundland. However, Ana dissipated before it reached the island.
Hurricane Bob
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Tropical Depression Two formed off the southwest coast of Florida on July 21. The depression hovered for two days without moving much. Two finally strengthened into Tropical Storm Bob and made landfall near North Naples, Florida. Heavy rainfall fell on south Florida but there was little or no damage. The storm moved off the peninsula and curved north. Bob strengthened into a hurricane off the Georgia coast and made landfall near Hilton Head, South Carolina. One person was killed in North Carolina from a traffic accident; damage in the Hilton Head area was reported to be minor. The storm produced three tornadoes in Virginia, one of which destroyed two homes. Four people died in the Washington, D.C. area from traffic accidents.
Hurricane Claudette
A long-lived hurricane, Claudette had its origins from a low pressure area that deveped over the eastern United States. Upon emerging into the Atlantic Ocean on August 9, it quickly developed into a tropical depression, and intensified into Tropical Storm Claudette a day and a half later. Claudette embarked on a transatlantic journey east. The storm became a hurricane in the central Atlantic and continued east. The hurricane reached a point just west of the Azores and weakened to a tropical storm. The storm turned northeast, grazed the Azores, and dissipated just north of the islands.
Hurricane Danny
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The fourth named storm of the season formed in the western Caribbean, south of Cuba on August 12. Danny spent two full days as a depression before becoming a tropical storm in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The storm continued to strengthen as it turned northward toward Louisiana. By the time it reached the coast off Lake Charles, Danny was a Category 1 hurricane. It made landfall with sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). There was widespread coastal flooding and dozens of homes were destroyed. Danny caused between $50-100 million in damage and 2 direct casualties.
Hurricane Elena
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Elena formed off the southern coast of Cuba in late August and quickly strengthened into a tropical storm. The storm traveled the length of the north-Cuban coast and moved into the Gulf of Mexico, where the storm soon became a hurricane. Elena made a curve toward the northwest Florida coast, steadily strengthening. The hurricane stalled off the coast, then strengthened into a major hurricane and switched back west. Elena made landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi with sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h).
The erratic path Elena followed through the eastern Gulf of Mexico caused some areas to undergo two emergency evacuations. The storm caused zero fatalities and four indirect deaths, a low number likely due to the massive evacuations prior to landfall. Elena caused $1.25 billion (1985 USD) in damage.
Tropical Depression Six
On September 11, a tropical depression formed southeast of the Leeward Islands. It dissipated in the central Caribbean on September 13.
Tropical Storm Fabian
Tropical Depression Seven formed from the remains of Tropical Depression Six east of the Bahamas on September 15 and headed northeast. This depression became Tropical Storm Fabian late the next day. Fabian continued to head northeast and reached a peak intensity of 65 mph (100 km/h) sustained winds and 994 mbar of pressure and thrived there for nearly three days. However, a strong low pressure system was forming to the north, and Fabian was absorbed by this low on September 19.
Hurricane Gloria
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Gloria was one of the most destructive storms of the season, as well as the strongest. Gloria was a Cape Verde-type hurricane that formed from a tropical wave near the Cape Verde Islands on September 16. Tropical Depression Eight quickly became Tropical Storm Gloria but did not strengthen further. Gloria weakened back into a depression on the 18th. It soon regained storm strength, however, and continued to strengthen. Gloria reached hurricane strength east of the Leeward Islands and turned northwest. The hurricane strengthened further into a Category 4 hurricane and reached peak intensity east of the Bahamas. The winds then dropped to Category 2 strength as Gloria headed up the coast, sending hurricane-force winds barreling across the shoreline. In some cases, Gloria’s eyewall was less than 12 miles (19 km) off the coast. The hurricane stayed a Category 2 until landfall on western Long Island. The storm moved inland and became extratropical over Maine.
Gloria killed eleven and caused $900 million ($1.63 billion in 2005 dollars) in damage.
Tropical Storm Henri
Rainfall totals for Henri
Tropical Depression Nine formed from a trough of low pressure offshore the Carolinas on September 21 and headed north. It strengthened into Tropical Storm Henri early on September 23 and continued to head north. High wind shear began to take its toll on Henri as it reached Long Island, which also minimized its rainfall impact across New England. The storm weakened into a depression, crossed the eastern end of the island and was absorbed by a frontal zone near Block Island, Rhode Island. Henri produced light rainfall, totaling just over 3 inches (76 mm) in eastern North Carolina and central Massachusetts.1
Tropical Storm Isabel
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Isabel formed off the coast of Hispaniola and strengthened rapidly, reaching tropical storm strength practically in Santo Domingo harbor. Isabel maintained intensity as it crossed the island and actually continued to strengthen. Isabel moved northeast of the Bahamas and curved toward north Florida. It hit near Fernandina Beach but then weakened into a depression and headed out to sea. The storm followed the coast northeast, dissipating near Cape Hatteras. While crossing Puerto Rico, Isabel dropped torrential rainfall, causing mudslides, flash flooding, and 180 casualties. Total damage amounted to $815 million (2005 USD), most of it in Puerto Rico.
Hurricane Juan
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Juan was a weak hurricane but was the most destructive of the season by virtue of the erratic track it took at landfall. Juan formed from a tropical wave in the central Gulf of Mexico. The depression quickly strengthened into a tropical storm. The storm moved erratically for the first day and then headed toward Louisiana. Juan became a hurricane as it neared the coast, turning sharply west and making a full, cyclonic (counterclockwise) loop. The storm made landfall at last near Morgan City, then made another cyclonic loop, moving off shore and weakening to a tropical storm. Juan then returned to the coast a third time, coming ashore near Gulf Shores, Alabama. The storm dissipated inland.
Juan caused $1.5 billion dollars ($2.71 billion in 2005 dollars) in damage and killed 24 people, becoming one of Louisiana's worst hurricanes of the 20th century. Most of the deaths were due to an inability to evacuate offshore oil rigs, several of which collapsed during the storm. Several deaths occurred due to a subsequent flooding event in Virginia.
The storm's double-looped track near landfall is similar to Hurricane Easy of the 1950 season.2
Hurricane Kate
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Kate was a late-season major hurricane that made a direct hit on Panama City, Florida. The storm skipped the depression stage and formed as a tropical storm east of the Bahamas, quickly strengthening into a hurricane. Kate grazed Cuba as a Category 2 hurricane and gently curved north-northeast toward Florida. It briefly became a major hurricane a little less than 200 miles (320 km) west of Tampa, making it the latest major hurricane on record in the Atlantic. The hurricane continued its graceful curve northeast. Kate made landfall just north of Port St. Joe near Mexico Beach, Florida.
The storm caused $700 million dollars (1985 USD, $1.24 billion 2005 USD) in damage, and killed fifteen people, six of which in the United States. The storm disrupted the oyster industry in Apalachicola, Florida, while the tourist industry in Panama City was deeply affected.
Tropical Depression Thirteen
On December 7, a tropical depression formed off the coast of Central America. It survived until at least December 9.3
Records and notable events
During the 1985 season, eight tropical storms and hurricanes made landfall on the United States mainland, tied for the second highest amount of U.S. landfalls on record (with the 2005 season), behind the 2004 season with 9. The U.S. Gulf Coast experienced four hurricanes, the most hurricanes to ever strike the area in a single season since the 1886 season until 2005, when five hurricanes (Cindy, Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma), broke that record.
It was also one of only seven hurricane seasons to have a major hurricane form in November, and the latest known occurrence of a major hurricane in the Atlantic basin.
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Rating
The table on the right shows the ACE for each storm in the season. The ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed for, so hurricanes that lasted a long time have higher ACEs.
1985 storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the north Atlantic in 1985. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 1991 season. This is the same list used for the 1979 season except for Danny and Fabian, which replaced David and Frederic. Storms were named Danny, Fabian, Isabel, Juan and Kate for the first time in 1985. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.
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- Henri
- Isabel
- Juan
- Kate
- Larry (unused)
- Mindy (unused)
- Nicholas (unused)
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- Odette (unused)
- Peter (unused)
- Rose (unused)
- Sam (unused)
- Teresa (unused)
- Victor (unused)
- Wanda (unused)
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Retirement
- See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricane names
The World Meteorological Organization retired two names in the spring of 1986: Elena and Gloria. They were replaced in the 1991 season by Erika and Grace. Despite the devastation, Juan remained on the list, but it would later be retired after Hurricane Juan of 2003. The reason of why Juan was not retired is unknown.
See also
References
External links
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Tropical cyclones of the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season
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