Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | November 11,2009 |
Dissipated | November 17,2009 |
Nor'easter | |
Lowest pressure | 992 mbar (hPa);29.29 inHg |
Maximum rainfall | 18 in (457.2 mm) in Hampton,Virginia |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 6 direct |
Damage | $300 million (2009 USD) |
Areas affected | Mid-Atlantic States,New England,Atlantic Canada |
The November 2009 nor'easter (also referred to as "Nor'Ida") was a powerful autumn nor'easter that caused widespread damage throughout the east coast of the United States. This extratropical cyclone formed in relation to Hurricane Ida's remnant mid-level circulation across southeastern Georgia and moved east-northeast offshore North Carolina,before slowly dropping south and southeast over the succeeding several days. The system eventually dissipated on November 17.
The origins of the nor'easter originated from with the remnants of Hurricane Ida,a storm that formed on November 4 over the southern Caribbean Sea. [1] After tracking through Nicaragua as a Category 1 hurricane,the system attained Category 2 status over the Yucatán Channel. Once in the Gulf of Mexico,the combination of increasing wind shear and cooler waters caused Ida to weaken. The system eventually moved over the southeastern United States on November 10 before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone. Ida's remnant low later dissipated over the Florida Panhandle on November 11. [1] However,Ida's mid-level circulation led to the formation of a new low over southeastern Georgia,which eventually moved off the coast of North Carolina. [2] This new low quickly intensified and became a powerful nor'easter that caused substantial damage throughout the Mid-Atlantic States. [1] Due to the rapid succession of these systems,United States media referred to the nor'easter as "Nor'Ida". [3] By November 12,the system attained a minimum pressure of 992 mbar (hPa;29.29 inHg) along with winds of 65 mph (105 km/h). [4] In combination with a large area of high pressure,a long stretch of easterly,onshore winds impacted areas from Virginia to southern New England. [5] Tracking parallel to the North Carolina coastline,the system eventually moved onshore near Cape Hatteras by November 13. Due to the high-pressure system situated over Vermont,the low turned southeastward,bringing its center back over water. Gradual weakening took place during this period,though heavy rains continued to fall across much of the Chesapeake Bay area. On November 14,a brief secondary low developed within the system,off the coast of Delaware. [2] Continuing to weaken,the cyclone resumed a northward track after the high weakened and persisted through November 17,by which time it had moved over Atlantic Canada. [6]
As the remnants of Ida began to weaken within the developing nor'easter on November 11,flood warnings were already in force from Alabama to Georgia and watches extended northward into the Mid-Atlantic states. Coastal flood watches and high wind warnings were also in effect from North Carolina to Delaware. [7] Flood warnings were later expanded into South Carolina and coastal advisories were extended to New Jersey and Long Island. [8] [9] Gale warnings continued to grow in coverage,encompassing areas from North Carolina to New Jersey by the afternoon of November 12. [10] By November 13,the watches and warnings gradually began to be discontinued as the low moved offshore. [11] Although the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center issued their final advisory on the system later on November 13,flood advisories remained in effect due to residual impacts from the cyclone. [12]
Due to the location of the storm,south east of the Chesapeake Bay,persistent onshore flows brought elevated water levels to some areas for up to four days. This also brought a storm surge to much of the region and in some cases,these surges reached record levels set by Hurricane Isabel in 2003. [2] In Norfolk,Virginia,a maximum storm surge of 7.74 ft (2.36 m) was measured on November 13. [13] Five coastal measuring stations recorded record-high water levels during the event and three were within 0.5 ft (0.15 m). Despite the nor'easter not being nearly as intense as Hurricane Isabel,water levels rivaled that of the hurricane because of persistent onshore flows,elevating water levels for several days. [2]
Along the east coast of the United States,a nor'easter spawned by the remnants of Ida resulted in widespread damage along coastal areas. [1] Minor damage was reported in South Carolina as winds up to 45 mph (70 km/h) and heavy rains,amounting to 3 to 5 in (76 to 127 mm) in most of the state,impacted the region. One person was killed after his vehicle collided with a downed tree in. [14] Flash flooding took place in some areas due to the heavy rains and previously saturated grounds. [15] In North Carolina strong winds downed several trees loosened in saturated soil. In Rockingham County,one person was killed after being struck by a branch while driving. [16] In the Outer Banks,four homes were destroyed and over 500 others were damaged by the system,leaving at least $5.8 million in losses. [17]
Along the Delmarva Peninsula,waves up to 10 ft (3.0 m) caused some coastal damage and high winds left roughly 13,000 without power. In Delaware alone,damage was estimated at $45 million. [18] The most severe damage took place in New Jersey where coastal losses were estimated to be at least $180 million. Extensive sand loss was reported at numerous beaches,including 7 million cubic yards in Ocean City alone. [19] In New York,one person drowned after being caught in rough seas off Rockaway Beach. [20] Total beach losses in the state reached $8.2 million. [21] Further north,the remnants of the cyclone brought heavy rains to portions of New England,resulting in flash flooding. In Maine,the highest rainfall total was recorded in Wells at 6.3 in (160 mm). In Cumberland County,one river rose 3.76 ft (1.15 m) above flood-stage,inundating nearby areas. [22]
Widespread coastal damage and major flooding took place in Virginia as rainfall exceeding 7 in (180 mm) fell in many places and large waves affected beaches. [1] [6] A maximum rainfall of 18 in (460 mm) fell in Hampton during the storm. [6] In some areas,roads were closed multiple times due to flooding. Minor damage was also reported as a few homes were inundated with up to 1 ft (0.30 m) of water. Some areas reported a storm surge comparable to that of Hurricanes Gloria in 1985 and Isabel in 2003. [23] Damage from the storm in Virginia was estimated to be at least $38.8 million,of which $25 million was in Norfolk alone. [4] According to the National Weather Service,7.4 in (190 mm) of rain fell in Norfolk between November 11 and 13,nearly three times the monthly average for November;in those three days alone,the total rainfall surpassed the monthly record of 7.02 in (178 mm) set in 1951. Hurricane-force winds also affected the state,with a peak gust of 75 mph (121 km/h) occurring in Oceana. [13]
Following the widespread flooding caused by the storm,a major disaster declaration was signed by President Barack Obama on December 9 to provide residents in Virginia with federal assistance. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),the cost of federal public assistance in the state would reach $11,227,376. [24]
Tropical Storm Allison was a tropical storm that devastated southeast Texas in June of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. An arguable example of the "brown ocean effect", Allison lasted unusually long for a June storm, remaining tropical or subtropical for 16 days, most of which was when the storm was over land dumping torrential rainfall. The storm developed from a tropical wave in the northern Gulf of Mexico on June 4, 2001, and struck the upper Texas coast shortly thereafter. It drifted northward through the state, turned back to the south, and re-entered the Gulf of Mexico. The storm continued to the east-northeast, made landfall on Louisiana, then moved across the southeast United States and Mid-Atlantic. Allison was the first storm since Tropical Storm Frances in 1998 to strike the northern Texas coastline.
Hurricane Gaston was a minimal hurricane that made landfall in South Carolina on August 29, 2004. It then crossed North Carolina and Virginia before exiting to the northeast and dissipating. The storm killed nine people – eight of them directly – and caused $130 million (2004 USD) in damage. Gaston produced torrential downpours that inundated Richmond, Virginia. Although originally designated a tropical storm, Gaston was reclassified as a hurricane when post-storm analysis revealed it had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h).
Tropical Storm Hanna was a moderately strong tropical storm that affected the Gulf Coast and Southeastern regions of the United States. The ninth tropical cyclone and eighth named storm of the 2002 Atlantic hurricane season, Hanna formed through the complex interaction of a surface trough, a tropical wave, and an upper-level low pressure system, a disturbance in the upper atmosphere. Designated a tropical depression at 0000 UTC on September 12, the storm remained disorganized throughout its duration, though it attained tropical storm status and a peak intensity of 1,001 mbar (29.6 inHg), with winds of 60 miles per hour (100 km/h). Hanna crossed extreme southeastern Louisiana, and made a second landfall along the Alabama–Mississippi border.
Tropical Storm Alberto was the first tropical storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season. Forming on June 10 in the northwestern Caribbean, the storm moved generally to the north, reaching a maximum intensity of 70 mph (110 km/h) before weakening and moving ashore in the Big Bend area of Florida on June 13. Alberto then moved through eastern Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia as a tropical depression before becoming extratropical on June 14.
Tropical Storm Barry was a rapidly forming tropical cyclone that made landfall on Florida, United States, in early June 2007. The second named storm of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, Barry developed from a trough of low pressure in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on June 1. It tracked rapidly northeastward, reaching peak winds of 60 mph (97 km/h) before weakening and making landfall near Tampa Bay as a tropical depression. Barry quickly lost tropical characteristics after wind shear removed much of the convection, and early on June 3, it completed the transition into an extratropical cyclone. The extratropical remnants tracked up the East Coast of the United States, and were absorbed by a larger extratropical cyclone on June 5.
Hurricane Humberto was a Category 1 hurricane that formed and intensified faster than any other North Atlantic tropical cyclone on record, before landfall. The eighth named storm and third hurricane of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, Humberto developed on September 12, 2007, in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico,. The tropical cyclone rapidly strengthened and struck High Island, Texas, with winds of about 90 mph (140 km/h) early on September 13. It steadily weakened after moving ashore, and on September 14, Humberto began dissipating over northwestern Georgia as it interacted with an approaching cold front.
Tropical Storm Erin was a minimal tropical storm that made landfall in Texas in August 2007. The storm's remnants also unexpectedly restrengthened over Oklahoma, causing damage there as well. The second tropical cyclone to make landfall in the United States in the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season and the fifth named storm of the year, Erin formed in the Gulf of Mexico on August 14 from a persistent area of convection. It attained tropical storm status the next day, and on August 16, 2007, Erin made landfall near Lamar, Texas, and persisted over land across Texas before moving northward into Oklahoma. Due to the brown ocean effect, Erin intensified after landfall. The storm resulted in sixteen fatalities and worsened an already-severe flooding issue in Texas.
Tropical Storm Arthur was the first tropical cyclone and named storm of the annual Atlantic hurricane season that caused minimal flooding in the Carolinas in mid-June 1996. Arthur originated from an area of increased convection east of the Bahamas on June 16. Gradually, the system increased in organization, and was designated as a tropical depression on June 17. The depression tracked north-northwest and became Tropical Storm Arthur while just offshore the Southeastern United States on June 19. Later that day, Arthur peaked with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h), but weakened slightly before making landfall in North Carolina early the following day. After striking North Carolina, Arthur tracked out to sea and weakened further to a tropical depression. By June 21, Arthur transitioned into an extratropical cyclone. Overall, impact from Arthur was minimal, limited to light rainfall and moderate surf in North and South Carolina, as well as a tornado in Florida. Total damage amounted to $1 million (1996 USD), but no fatalities were reported.
Hurricane Ida was the strongest landfalling tropical cyclone during the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, crossing the coastline of Nicaragua with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). The remnants of the storm became a powerful nor'easter that caused widespread damage along coastal areas of the Mid-Atlantic States. Ida formed on November 4 in the southwestern Caribbean, and within 24 hours struck the Nicaragua coast with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). It weakened significantly over land, although it restrengthened in the Yucatán Channel to peak winds of 105 mph (170 km/h). Hurricane Ida weakened and became an extratropical cyclone in the northern Gulf of Mexico, before spreading across the southeastern United States. The remnants of Ida contributed to the formation of a nor'easter that significantly affected the eastern coast of the United States.
The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season was a below-average Atlantic hurricane season that produced eleven tropical cyclones, nine named storms, three hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. It officially began on June 1 and ended on November 30, dates that conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic basin. The season's first tropical cyclone, Tropical Depression One, developed on May 28, while the final storm, Hurricane Ida, dissipated on November 10. The most intense hurricane, Bill, was a powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane that affected areas from the Leeward Islands to Newfoundland. The season featured the lowest number of tropical cyclones since the 1997 season, and only one system, Claudette, made landfall in the United States. Forming from the interaction of a tropical wave and an upper-level low, Claudette made landfall on the Florida Panhandle with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (70 km/h) before quickly dissipating over Alabama. The storm killed two people and caused $228,000 in damage.
The effects of Hurricane Jeanne in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States included two fatalities and $530 million in damage. Originating from a tropical wave off the coast of Africa in early September 2004, Hurricane Jeanne tracked through the Leeward Islands and Hispaniola for several days, resulting in extensive damage and an immense loss of life. After completing a clockwise loop between September 22 and 24, the storm intensified into a major hurricane before striking the Bahamas and Florida. Substantially weaker, the system turned northeastward over Georgia before affecting Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia; all of those states are in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. By the evening of September 26, the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center took over responsibility of monitoring the former hurricane over Virginia.