Hurricane Danny (1985)
| Category 1 hurricane (SSHS) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Hurricane Danny making landfall along the United States Gulf Coast | |
| Formed | August 12, 1985 |
| Dissipated | August 18, 1985 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 80 mph (130 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 987 mbar (hPa); 29.15 inHg |
| Fatalities | 2 direct, 1 indirect |
| Damage | $100 million (1985 USD) |
| Areas affected | Cuba, Gulf Coast of the United States, Tennessee, Carolinas, Virginia |
| Part of the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Danny was a minimal Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale that made landfall in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The fourth tropical cyclone and third hurricane of the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season, Danny originated from a tropical wave that moved into the western Caribbean in the middle of August, and struggled to reach tropical storm status until it entered the central Gulf of Mexico. Organizing rapidly, the system reached hurricane status several hundred miles south of Louisiana, and reached a peak intensity of 80 mph (130 km/h) before making landfall near Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Danny produced an outbreak of 39 tornadoes and flash flooding across the United States Gulf Coast and Southeastern United States causing 100 million dollars (1985 USD) and three fatalities, two of them directly related to the storm.
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[edit] Meteorological history
A tropical wave moved off the west coast of Africa on July 30 and continued across the Atlantic and though the Leeward Islands with no sign of development. On August 12, data from hurricane hunter flights indicated that a tropical depression formed near the Cayman Islands.[1] The tropical depression then crossed the tip of Cuba and entered the Gulf of Mexico on August 13. In a 24 hour period, the depression rapidly intensified into a tropical storm and then a hurricane and was named Danny by the National Hurricane Center. Danny continued northwest with a peak wind speed of 80 mph and minimum barometric pressure of 987 millibars before making landfall near Lake Charles, Louisiana. Danny then quickly weakened into a tropical storm as it moved inland. The center was still identifiable before the storm became extratropical near the East coast of the United States.[1]
[edit] Impact
Overall, Danny killed three people [2] and left up to $100 million dollars in damage (1985 USD) in damage. Danny also produced an unusually intense outbreak of tornadoes, with 39 touchdowns occurring over seven states. At the time, this outbreak contained the highest number violent tornadoes spawned by a hurricane, 13; however, since then, Hurricane Ivan in 2004 surpassed this, producing 18 violent tornadoes.[3] Moderate to heavy rainfall fell to the east of the track while Danny remained tropical. As it was transitioning into a frontal wave across the East, heavy rainfall became focused to the left of its track, overrunning the frontal surface ahead of the storm.[4]
[edit] Gulf of Mexico
Forty miles offshore the Gulf coast, seven Texans sailed a 41-foot (12 m) yacht into the storm. They were airlifted to a hospital in the New Orleans metropolitan area after experiencing various injuries.[5]
[edit] Louisiana and Mississippi
In Louisiana, the storm dropped heavy rainfall with totals of 3 inches reported in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.[6] there was moderate flooding and 275 homes were destroyed or severely damaged. About 792 people were left homeless and sixty six were injured by the storm there were no deaths. The American Red Cross reported that there was up to $23 million dollars (1985 USD) in damage.[4] Governor Edwin Edwards declared a state of emergency for 13 parishes.[5] In Mississippi, an F2 tornado spawned by Danny touched down near Hickory at 1235 UTC. The 72 feet (22 m) wide tornado caused no damage. Another tornado, an F0 touched down near Enterprise causing no damage.[2]
[edit] Alabama
In Alabama, two of the most damaging tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Danny was the "Redstone Arsenal Tornado" and the "Jasper Tornado" that struck Huntsville and Jasper, Alabama. The Redstone tornado touched down at 2030 UTC near Gold-Rithe area. The twister damaged trees and signs and flipped over two trailers. The tornado also damaged a runway at Marshall Space Flight Center.[2]
The Jasper Tornado, touched down 45 minutes before the Redstone Arsenal Tornado. The F2 tornado, caused considerable damage and showed a multiple-vortex.[2] There were two fatalities and fourteen injuries in Alabama and $5 million dollars (1985 USD) in damage, mostly from tornadoes.[4]
[edit] Remainder of the southeast United States
An F3 Tornado spawned by Danny, struck Waco, Tennessee and produced a damage path of 500 yards wide making the tornado the largest hurricane spawned tornado.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b NHC Report on Danny
- ^ a b c d e Monthly Weather Review on Danny (1985) tornado outbreak
- ^ Tom Grazulis and Bill McCaul (2009). "List of Known Tropical Cyclones Which Have Spawned Tornadoes". Tornado History Project. http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/allhurricanes.htm. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ^ a b c NHC Report on Danny
- ^ a b Associated Press. Hurricane Proves to be Flash-in-pan. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ NHC Report on Danny
