1972 Atlantic hurricane season

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1972 Atlantic hurricane season
Season summary map
First storm formed May 23, 1972
Last storm dissipated November 7, 1972
Strongest storm Betty – 976 mbar (hPa) (28.83 inHg), 105 mph (165 km/h) (1-minute sustained)
Total storms 7
Hurricanes 3
Total fatalities 122
Total damage $2.1 billion (1972 USD)
Atlantic hurricane seasons
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
Related article

The 1972 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1972, and lasted until November 30, 1972. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. A strong El Niño kept hurricane activity at a minimum, and in fact the season was one of the quietest since the beginning of regular hurricane reconnaissance in 1944. It was also one of only four hurricane seasons since 1944 to have no major hurricanes (the other years being the 1968 season, the 1986 season, and the 1994 season).

Although a very inactive season, 1972 brought one of the deadliest and most expensive hurricanes to strike the United States, Hurricane Agnes. Agnes was a weak but large storm that made landfall at the Florida panhandle and then followed the east coast northward. It killed 122 and caused $2.1 billion (1972 dollars) in damage, mostly due to flooding in Pennsylvania and New York.

Contents

[edit] Storms

[edit] Subtropical Storm Alpha

Subtropical storm (SSHS)
Duration May 23 – May 29
Intensity 70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min),  991 mbar (hPa)
Main article: Subtropical Storm Alpha (1972)

Subtropical Storm Alpha developed from a cold-core (extratropical) low in late May off the Florida coast. As the low moved northeastward, it warmed a little, and became Subtropical Depression One. It turned sharply southward on May 26 due to a building ridge of high pressure. The same day it became Subtropical Storm Alpha, and it moved toward the Georgia coast. After reaching its peak of 70 mph (110 km/h), Alpha weakened, but managed to hit near Brunswick, Georgia as a 45 mph (72 km/h) subtropical storm. Alpha dissipated over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on May 29.

Alpha was the first named subtropical storm.

[edit] Hurricane Agnes

Category 1 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration June 14 – June 23
Intensity 85 mph (140 km/h) (1-min),  977 mbar (hPa)
Main article: Hurricane Agnes

Hurricane Agnes was a large June Gulf of Mexico hurricane that formed over the Yucatán Peninsula on June 14. It moved northward, reaching and maintaining hurricane intensity prior to landfall on the Florida Panhandle. Agnes reintensified over North Carolina, and in combination with an extratropical low to its west, brought very heavy rains to the Mid-Atlantic. Agnes dissipated on June 23 after causing over $3 billion in damage (1970 US dollars). It held the record for most expensive hurricane in American history until Hurricane Frederic surpassed it in 1979.

[edit] Hurricane Betty

Category 2 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration August 22 – September 1
Intensity 105 mph (165 km/h) (1-min),  976 mbar (hPa)

The precursor of Hurricane Betty was a subtropical depression that developed from a decaying cold front on August 22, located 200 miles (320 km) north-northeast of Bermuda. Initially a small cyclone, only 30–40 miles in diameter, the depression grew as it strengthened and moved eastward, designated Subtropical Storm Bravo on August 24. On August 25, the broad wind field became more compact, and it was named Tropical Storm Betty. On August 27 it became a hurricane, and on August 28 Betty reached its peak of 100 mph (Category 2 intensity), the highest winds of the 1972 season. Building high pressure to its east forced Betty to the southwest, and over the next 3 days it executed a loop, but cooler waters and upper level shear turned the system extratropical on September 1.

[edit] Tropical Storm Carrie

Tropical storm (SSHS)
Duration August 29 – September 3
Intensity 70 mph (110 km/h) (1-min),  993 mbar (hPa)
Main article: Tropical Storm Carrie (1972)

A complex system combining a tropical wave and an upper level low led to the formation of a tropical depression east of Florida on August 29. It managed to become a tropical storm on August 31 and reached initial peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) later that day. However, upper-level winds increased, causing Carrie to weaken to a minimal tropical storm by September 2. Due to baroclinic processes, Carrie began to re-intensify. As a result, Carrie attained its peak winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) just prior to transitioning into an extratropical cyclone on September 3. The extratropical cyclone continued northeastward, and struck eastern Maine on September 4.[1] By the following day, the extratropical cyclone dissipated over the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.[2]

As Carrie passed Cape Cod, heavy rainfall occurred in that portion of Massachusetts, peaking at 12.50 in (318 mm) in Tashmoo. In addition, Carrie produced tropical storm and hurricane force winds in Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island. In the wake of Carrie, $1.78 million (1972 USD; $9.89 million 2012 USD) in damage and four fatalities were reported throughout New England.[1]

[edit] Hurricane Dawn

Category 1 hurricane (SSHS)
Duration September 5 – September 14
Intensity 80 mph (130 km/h) (1-min),  997 mbar (hPa)

A tropical wave, combined with an upper trophospheric trough, caused an area of convection to become a tropical depression on September 5, near the southeast coast of Florida. Though conditions were unfavorable, the depression managed to become Tropical Storm Dawn on September 6 and a hurricane on September 7. The development of a cold-core low near Cape Hatteras forced Dawn westward, then southeastward, where Dawn became a 50 mph (80 km/h) tropical storm. It continued to weaken as it approached the Georgia and South Carolina coasts, and it finally dissipated on September 14, causing little damage over land.

[edit] Subtropical Storm Charlie

Subtropical storm (SSHS)
Duration September 19 – September 21
Intensity 65 mph (100 km/h) (1-min),  996 mbar (hPa)

Subtropical Storm Charlie formed on September 19 over the North Atlantic. It moved quickly northeastward, reaching 65 mph (105 km/h) winds before becoming extratropical on September 21. As an extratropical system, it became incredibly powerful, reaching a central pressure of 944 millibars (27.9 inHg), a reading typical of a strong Category 3 hurricane.

[edit] Subtropical Storm Delta

Subtropical storm (SSHS)
Duration November 1 – November 7
Intensity 45 mph (75 km/h) (1-min),  1001 mbar (hPa)

Subtropical Storm Delta developed from a cold-core low. The low moved southwestward in late October, and on November 1 it developed into a subtropical depression. On November 2, it became Subtropical Storm Delta. It moved southwestward initially, then eastward on November 4, where it met unfavorable conditions. Delta became a depression again on November 5, and ultimately dissipated on November 7.

[edit] Other storms

In addition to the named storms and otherwise notable cyclones, there were several weak depressions during the season. As Agnes was moving over the southeastern United States, Tropical Depression Three formed approximately 400 mi (640 km) southwest of Bermuda.

[edit] Storm names

The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1972.[3] Names that were not assigned are marked in gray. Storms were named Agnes, Betty and Dawn for the first time in 1972. The name Agnes was later retired.

  • Agnes
  • Betty
  • Carrie
  • Dawn
  • Edna (unused)
  • Felice (unused)
  • Gerda (unused)
  • Harriet (unused)
  • Ilene (unused)
  • Jane (unused)
  • Kara (unused)
  • Lucile (unused)
  • Mae (unused)
  • Nadine (unused)
  • Odette (unused)
  • Polly (unused)
  • Rita (unused)
  • Sarah (unused)
  • Tina (unused)
  • Velma (unused)
  • Wendy (unused)

[edit] Subtropical storm names

The following names were used for subtropical storms (sometimes called neutercanes) in the Atlantic basin for this year. This year was the first year to use the Phonetic Alphabet for these storms. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.

  • Alpha
  • Bravo (unused)
  • Charlie
  • Delta
  • Echo (unused)
  • Foxtrot (unused)
  • Golf (unused)
  • Hotel (unused)
  • India (unused)
  • Juliet (unused)
  • Kilo (unused)
  • Lima (unused)
  • Mike (unused)
  • November (unused)
  • Oscar (unused)
  • Papa (unused)
  • Quebec (unused)
  • Romeo (unused)
  • Sierra (unused)
  • Tango (unused)
  • Uniform (unused)
  • Victor (unused)
  • Whiskey (unused)
  • X-Ray (unused)
  • Yankee (unused)
  • Zulu (unused)

[edit] See also

Portal icon Tropical cyclones portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b R. H. Simpson and Paul J. Herbert (April 1973). "Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1972". National Hurricane Center. http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1972.pdf. Retrieved May 7, 2011. 
  2. ^ Hurricane Research Division (August 2011). "Atlantic hurricane best track (Hurdat)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/tracks1851to2010_atl_reanal.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
  3. ^ Associated Press (1972-04-20). "If s Agnes, Betty, Carrie – no 'him-i-canes' again". http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=7084045_clean&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=4&currentPage=0. Retrieved 2007-12-01. 

[edit] External links

Tropical cyclones of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season
Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale
TD TS C1 C2 C3 C4 C5
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